jump ship
by allechant
Summary: A collection of one-shots shipping Miku with different guys. Might include ideas for future stories. Current chapter: love magic, LenKu.
1. a kindred spirit

a kindred spirit

People often told tales of a legendary master thief with bright blond hair and clear blue eyes, a wicked smile always adorning his lips. Of course, it was all just rumour. No one knew precisely what he looked like for he was so seldom seen, but one thing that was agreed upon was how light-footed, how nimble and quick he was. He stole the possessions of the wealthy and gave them to the poor.

A gentleman thief, one might say. The rich nobles despised him, and the peasants saw him as their saviour. Still, though rumours flew around and there were numerous posters placed promising a great reward if this thief was captured, no one ever betrayed him. He was loved by the common folk. No one knew why he did this, of course. Everyone wanted to know, but he kept himself hidden.

His name was Kagamine Len. His background was unknown, and why he chose a life of secrecy and thievery was unknown too. But he had never once been caught, and sometimes people wondered if he really existed or if he was just a myth, that those responsible for the thefts were actually a large group of people all working behind the mask of one man. For how could one person achieve all this?

Kagamine Len was the only one who knew anything about himself, of course. But he liked it that way. It gave him quite the mysterious air, although at times he felt a little lonely. The loneliness passed quickly though, and he would cheer himself up with the knowledge that he had just obtained yet another treasure to add to his prized collection.

* * *

"Really?" the thief asked, leaning against the parapet. "You wouldn't give them to me, even if I asked really nicely?" he smiled at her charmingly. It was a smile which had worked on quite a few women in the past, though of course at that time they didn't know that he was the legendary master thief.

"No, and you know I won't," the girl answered, sounding amused. He tilted his head, watching her. It had been a month, he had visited her every night without fail and she still had yet to budge. It was very strange how she was able to resist him like that, especially since she was a girl. He knew he was pretty handsome, so there was that. "You should give up. There are other treasures for you to find, you need not target mine so specifically," she looped some hair behind her ear, watching him.

"Yes, but none are owned by someone as stunning as you," he answered, and he meant every word he said. The girl who watched over the Five Rings of Izar…she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, and that said something because he had seen plenty of girls throughout his travels. This was the princess of Arabelle, and the Rings were their national pride and treasure. It was said that each ring was set with a magical stone that embodied a certain power, and when the five rings came together the owner was certain to prosper. True enough, Arabelle was indeed a marvellous place.

The state was wealthy, there was little to no crime, the streets were fairly safe to walk at night and the people adored their princess. There was no king or queen, and the princess had yet to ascend to the throne – Arabelle considered only those who were twenty years of age to be adults, meaning she had two more years to go. At the moment, the state was governed by its ministers, who often advised the princess on how to run state affairs. The princess's main duty was to guard the rings.

Len wanted them. Not so much because he craved their power for himself, but rather as a sign that he could really steal anything he wanted to. He actually had an entire list of royal treasures to collect and the rings just happened to be the second last on his list. After this, he would go to Tannin to find the Scorpius Sceptre, which did quite the opposite of the Izar Rings and apparently unleashed the fires of hell upon any person unfortunate enough to anger its owner, but until he got the rings he would not leave for the sceptre. This little princess seemed determined to mess up his plans, however.

He was not one to give up. In fact, Len was extremely persistent. He loved a challenge, and stealing the Five Rings of Izar was a clear challenge. He found that he could not back down – he was curious to see if he could succeed in swaying the princess to his will. But the more time he spent here, with the quiet royal, the more he wondered if he was staying for the rings or staying for the girl herself.

The princess of Arabelle, Hatsune Miku, was beautiful. There was no denying that. Men all across the land sought her hand, but she never paid her suitors any heed, only concerned with learning how to rule and properly control the power of the Rings of Izar. She might take on a husband in the future, but it was known that as of now, she wasn't interested in romance or marriage. Despite the stories, Len had never realised just how breath-taking the princess was until he saw her up close for the first time, waiting for him outside the castle's treasury. How she knew he was coming, he had no idea.

From her, he found out that the Five Rings of Izar were kept in an enchanted jewellery box in her own bedchamber, where she was the only person who knew the enchantment that would unlock the box. So stealing the jewellery box by itself would be quite useless. She actually passed him the box and invited him to try and pry it open through sheer brute force, and he had been unable to do so. According to her, no other sorcerer or sorceress could unlock the box, and though Len was quite tempted to run away with the box to test her claim, she added that she would know if he ever took off with the box, and he wouldn't get far before he was caught by the castle guards. So he never did.

He found that the best way was to perhaps convince the princess to willingly pass them over to him, but she had stubbornly refused all his attempts at persuasion thus far. It was surprising that she was even willing to let him come to her – despite being aware that he was a thief, she still allowed him to visit her every night, and after his usual attempts to charm her, they would end up talking about all sorts of different things. She was wise beyond her years, and he was fascinated by her.

Sometimes, he would see her meditating in her room, sitting cross-legged on top of her bed with her eyes closed and her palms pressed together in front of her chest. He would try to surprise her during those moments, but she always knew when he was coming, as though she could somehow hear even _his_ stealthy footsteps. The princess was remarkably insightful and could easily match him in a battle of wits, so he held a grudging sort of respect for her. It was the first time Len had met anyone whom he would consider his equal in debate, and perhaps the knowing glimmer in her eyes indicated that she was aware of this fact as well. But what could he say? She truly was a very special person.

"Did I ever tell you that sometimes, I can see into the future?" they were both standing out on the balcony, the night wind fresh and cool against their faces. The intoxicating scent of roses wafted up from the gardens below, and he took in a deep breath, enjoying the subtle perfume of the flowers. "It's a gift that only awakens within a few members of my bloodline. Once every few centuries, one child from my family will be born with the gift of clairvoyance, and it just so happened that this time, it awoke within me."

"So you can see people's futures?" he asked, curious. She nodded. The princess was slim and petite, her small frame hiding the fact that she was probably the most powerful person in not just Arabelle, but in the entire country too. All the rulers of the various states were magically gifted, but Arabelle royalty had a long tradition of being extremely attuned to their magic, and the princess was clearly no exception to that. "Have you seen my future then?" he smiled. The princess pursed her lips.

"I have," she answered him carefully. "But I am afraid that I cannot tell you what I saw," she added before he could even ask. His face fell, and she turned towards him, her expression grave. Her clear green eyes met his, filled with a wisdom far beyond her years. "It is not the privilege of mortals to know their future, and those with the gift are bound to secrecy. What I can say though, is that the future isn't set in stone, and every action you make now can change your path. What I see now is not fixed – I only see possibilities, the future that appears to be the most probable at the moment."

He blinked. "That makes it sound like I'm going to have a terrible future," he frowned. The princess definitely didn't seem too optimistic. She gave him a gentle smile and shook her head, refusing to say anything more about the matter, before she turned to look up at the moon. Len took that to mean that she was going back inside soon – he knew she usually didn't stay out for too long. "Hey, before you go," he spoke, causing her to look back down from the night sky, "here, have this." He held out a beautifully blooming rose, and the princess's eyes widened. "I'll see you tomorrow night, maybe?"

She hesitantly took hold of the flower. The perfume was sweet, the heavy head drooping slightly, dark red in the moonlight. "When did you get this…?" she began to ask, knowing that the thief had been emptyhanded when he first came to see her. Before she could continue, she felt a gust of wind whoosh past her, and when she looked up to where the blond thief had been standing just seconds ago, he was already gone.

* * *

Hatsune Miku was lonely. It wasn't something she ever admitted to, being the princess of Arabelle, but she was wise and lonely beyond her years. So she was glad when the thief began to visit her.

She couldn't remember if she had ever not been lonely. When she was born her parents knew she had the _gift_ , though to her it was more of a curse. She never wanted to rule. But she was surrounded, all her life, by people who grovelled to her and tried to get onto her good side, simply because she was the princess who could see into the future. It was practically a given that she would be the next heir, which was something her older siblings were unhappy about. Her parents had them sent away out of fear they would sabotage her ascension to the throne.

Her older siblings did return to try and seize power when they turned of age two years ago, but her parents managed to defend the state. Her entire family passed away during the uprising however, leaving only her – and the fighting only ceased because she used the Rings. But honestly, her parents already knew they would not survive the fight. She was the one who had told them the unfortunate news, and before her siblings returned they assembled a cabinet of ministers to help her govern until she could take the throne herself. She hated it, knowing they would die but being unable to help them – no matter which future she desperately looked into, there were none where they managed to survive.

She sighed, clasping her hands together and closing her eyes, lowering her head. The night sky was beautiful tonight. The full moon reminded her of that day where her siblings returned to declare war and make known their unhappiness. She hated this gift of clairvoyance, but it wasn't something she could just suppress and run away from. It was as much a part of her as the rest of her magic was, it lived in her blood and her bones. It was only in death that she could escape what she had been born with.

Her thoughts drifted to the gentleman thief. He was a strange man with a strange personality. She found it entertaining in fact, how he seemed so persistent about getting the Five Rings of Izar. Miku could tell that he was not a bad man, but she couldn't for the life of her understand why he would want the rings so terribly. The rings would not be of any use to someone besides the ruler of Arabelle. So what was he trying to prove, that he could take any treasure in the world should he set his mind to it? She smiled, shaking her head. The thief had to understand first that the greatest treasures in the world were not material. Until then, she would continue to refuse him and his advances.

The rose he gave her bloomed beautifully in the glass vase, and she walked over to it, fingering the vivid scarlet petals. The rose was heavy, the head drooping slightly, and she let her fingertip press lightly against the sharp thorns. It was a beautiful flower that could hurt you if you weren't careful enough, much like the person who had given it to her. The thief, whose name she was never told, was clearly hurting on the inside. But why, she did not know. She wasn't sure if she wanted to find out.

* * *

The thief sat cross-legged on the parapet, and the princess sighed. "You will fall off if you do that," she cautioned, not even bothering to chase him away today. He only ever came to her at night, when the guards were sleeping and there was no one watching. The ministers were so protective of her that if the thief was discovered talking to her this way, things would become…troublesome.

"Not if you're me," he answered carelessly, but getting off the slim railing anyway. "Well, you already know what I want – so I suppose you won't be giving them to me today either, will you?" he asked playfully. He had spent the past three months in Arabelle, visiting the princess every night and always making the same request. And, as always, she shook her head peacefully. He let out a sigh. "Well, it was good to hope for a little bit. If you had said yes then I think I would have been rather disappointed."

"Why?" she asked, meeting his gaze. Her green eyes were as calm as the tranquil night sky. Arabelle had amazing stars. They were scattered all over the indigo darkness like a spangled tapestry, winking playfully down at the citizens. He quite liked this place, actually. It was a little boring compared to the other states because of how safe it was, but he preferred it safe rather than too dangerous. Len was not particularly fond of danger or excitement. Nothing wrong with looking for a peaceful home.

"Because if you gave them to me, then I wouldn't have a reason to come back here anymore," he met her gaze. She blinked, her eyes widening in surprise, and he looked away from her, back up at the night sky. "It's really beautiful," he observed. "I wouldn't mind living here, actually. But being a thief means that it's really difficult to settle down for too long. I'll get restless…I always have to be on the move," he smiled. "This is the longest I've ever stayed in one place, you know."

"Why, because of me?" she took a careful step towards him, tilting her head inquisitively. He didn't say anything in response, keeping his gaze fixed on the night sky. "You know, you never told me your name, great master thief," he could hear the smile in her words. "I know of your exploits. Many noblemen want to capture you since you pilfer from the rich and give to the poor. A traditional hero, the saviour of the common folk, are you not?" he still did not respond. "So let me ask you this – _why_ are you doing this, master thief? What happened in your past to make you abandon everything you once knew?"

He stiffened. "What do you know about me?" he turned, finally looking back at her. He seemed almost nervous. The princess didn't respond, her gaze fixed on him, patiently awaiting an answer. He sighed, raking a hand through his blond hair. The climb up to the princess's balcony had dishevelled his hair somewhat, but he looked no worse for his efforts. "You ask for my name, princess? There are not many who know of it, but you might find it familiar if I tell you what it is. My name is Kagamine Len."

She made a sound of recognition. "Kagamine Len…the missing youngest son of the King of Fayle?" she asked. He nodded, looking almost resigned. "But…why?" she shook her head in wonderment. "Fayle is rich in natural resources and talent, despite being one of the smallest states in the country. The royal family has considerable magical ability as well – not on par with Arabelle certainly, but definitely powerful. As a prince, you must have had everything that you might have ever wanted in your old home. What are you doing out here?"

The stories of the mysterious thief started six years ago. He must have been fourteen then. It matched the year the youngest prince of Fayle disappeared. The thief sighed, the look in his eyes pensive. It was the first time she had seen him this way – normally he was charming and light-hearted, carefree in a way which made her almost envious. "Fayle prides itself in the art of magical warfare. Though we admit that Arabelle has a better grasp of the magical arts overall, our skill with battle magic has long been acknowledged in this region. Me, though…I was not born with the same talents as the rest of my family. My magic is limited to parlour tricks. I would be useless in a fight," he shrugged. "They never blamed me, and I was not unhappy because of them. But I always felt…inferior to the others, somehow."

She thought she might understand how he felt. Though she had never been inferior – it was quite the opposite, actually – she also knew what it felt like to be different from the rest of her family. "Did you run away because of that?" she asked. She had thought of running away before too. She did, in a way. To avoid the nobles who so desperately tried to talk to her, to obtain her favour, she always declined invitations to balls and social gatherings, becoming a recluse to protect herself from the superficiality of the aristocracy. They just wanted to take advantage of the fact that she would one day be the ruler. She wouldn't allow these people to make use of her. She had to protect the rings…

"Yes and no. I ran away because I saw how corrupted my family's advisors were. Since there was no chance that I would ever be king, the other nobles were less careful about their behaviour around me," he hesitated. "I saw them stealing from the poor to feed their own overinflated coffers. The peasants in Fayle suffered, and my family did nothing, blind as they were to their ministers and advisors. They did not believe me when I told them of the corruption. The few tricks I can do with my magic make me fast and nimble, quick to the eye and silent to the ears. I realised that if my family would not do anything, then I could take matters into my own hands and help the poor to rise up against the oppression of the upper-class. So one day, I ran away, and I've been living this way ever since."

She understood him a little better now. The missing prince of Fayle…people thought that he was dead by now. She remembered seeing him once before, when she was a child. He was two years older than her. Back then she was only eight, and the thief must have been ten. It was during a diplomatic party between the magical nations in the country, and her parents had forced her to go despite her initial reluctance. She did not pay the prince very much attention during the party as he had been quiet and reserved, staying close to his rather large family, but now that he revealed his true identity she found herself remembering what he was like. The young prince seemed very different from the way he was now.

"I saw you once. During the Titania gathering," she mentioned. He tilted his head, curious, and a sudden flash of remembrance passed through his eyes. "You were there with your family I think. I remember you. You spoke to me, asked if you could eat my cake if I wasn't going to touch it," she smiled wryly. As children both of them had been less interested in social graces and etiquette, so she allowed the prince to take her dessert and polish it off while the adults all spoke about legislation and illegal trade in the magical artefacts market. The thief laughed as he recalled the same memory.

"Oh, yes. That was so long ago…it felt like another lifetime for me," he shook his head. "You were a shy little girl back then. I can't believe I forgot about that so completely…yes, you were so scared to be there that you spent most of the time hiding behind your older sister. I can't even remember her name or what she looks like anymore, but I remember you because it was so funny, watching you."

"My older sister is dead," she felt a pang of grief shoot through her. Though her older brother and sister both had wanted the throne for themselves and hated the fact that she, the youngest child, had claim to the kingdom, they were still her siblings and she loved them. When they were children, they had been kind and sweet to her, protecting her from their parents whenever she got into trouble. It was only when they became older that her siblings started pulling away from her…

The thief's face fell. Actually, she wasn't sure if she ought to continue addressing him as the thief or if she should just call him the prince now, since he revealed his true identity to her. "It's all right," she reassured him, "I have accepted her death, and that of the rest of my family as well, and moved on with the hope that they are all watching over me now," she gazed fondly up at the night sky, looking at all the twinkling stars. It was said that each star represented someone's soul, and she wondered which ones belonged to her family. "But besides that," she added, looking back down at the thief, "why do you steal treasures, then? I understand taking from the rich to give to the poor, but why do you want to take the Rings of Izar? Their value is not in their price, but in their magic."

"I don't know," the thief shrugged. "Just to prove that I can sneak past even the tightest fortresses and take the most heavily guarded treasures, I suppose. Nothing can stop me, not the sword nor magic itself," he gave her an intense stare, as though challenging her to refute that statement. She did not respond, and after a while he seemed to deflate a little. "But it seems that with you I have hit a stumbling block," he mused, "for the princess of Arabelle is steadfast in her refusal, is she not?"

"That's certainly true," she acknowledged. The thief shrugged again and hopped gracefully up to the parapet, spreading his arms out and tilting his face up towards the moon. She watched, concerned but aware that he could look after himself. "You do not need to resort to stealing treasures just to prove that you are of use," she said quietly, watching him. She knew he could hear her, though he did not react to her words. "There are greater things in the world than material gains, prince of Fayle."

"Like?" he looked down at her, raising an eyebrow. "True love? You jest. I did not think you to be so sentimental," he grinned, crouching down to pat her on the head. She stiffened, startled by the unexpected gesture. "You are very cute, princess. I might fall for you if you aren't careful," he shot her a wink. "You need not expect me tomorrow night, but in exchange I placed a rose in your vase while you were meditating, a white one. I trust you are familiar with the language of flowers," he whispered.

With that, he snapped his fingers and vanished into thin air. She blinked at where he last stood and turned to exit the balcony, heading straight towards her glass vase – just as the thief said, there was a delicate ivory rose standing next to her scarlet one now, creating a subtle fragrance that filled up her entire bedroom. She reached out to the white petals. He was right, she knew what it meant.

New beginnings or farewells. Along with the red rose, which symbolised eternal love and romance. Her cheeks warmed a little. Or perhaps she was simply reading too much into the thief's actions.

* * *

Len surveyed his old home, the grand palace of Fayle standing tall on the cliff that overlooked the entire kingdom. His cloak rustled in the breeze, and he shivered slightly in the night chill. Fayle was further up north than Arabelle, with its rich pastures and greenery. Fayle was cold, the kingdom enveloped by an everlasting winter. Even in summer there was barely any hint of green to be seen on the steep slopes.

The people here were cold and distant, the only time they ever displayed passion being when they were at war. And war was something the people engaged in often. Among themselves, with other states, between families and friends. He hated it, not so much because of the frequent arguments but rather because he was _weak_ compared to the rest of his family. Of course, being the prince he possessed more magical ability than the commoners or even most of the aristocrats did, but he paled in comparison to his parents and his older siblings. They saw him as the baby of the family.

Well, he was. He couldn't refute that. With a heavy sigh, he crouched down and scooped up some of the powdery white snow which fell around him, on his cloak, the fine white snow so foreign to him now. He had spent most of his time in the warmer states down south, and the cold beauty of snow was something he had almost forgotten about. There was a tranquillity about the village tonight, an air of serenity that seemed very out-of-place for war-torn Fayle. Maybe it was because he was still reminiscing his conversation with the princess. He hadn't thought about his past in a while.

He never really had to, after all. He was a thief and most people were grateful that he was giving them money to survive. They never questioned who he was or where he came from. In fact, he did not even appear to his beneficiaries, instead choosing to leave the money or items outside the door and running off after knocking. The fewer people there were who knew about him, the better. He would like to keep to himself – he didn't want to be surrounded by people he could not trust, the way his family was.

Should he pay his parents a visit? He looked up at the palace with its tall spiralling towers and the graceful arches that welcomed the snow, the pride and joy of their state. It had an icy beauty that soothed the flames of passion and wrath – it was said that the people of Fayle were distant and aloof because the cold North wind blew through the palace and the village, chilling their hearts. But in the end Len decided that he was not yet ready to face his parents. Shrugging up his fur-lined hood, he turned away from the rocky summit and travelled back down the mountain, deciding that it was time to return to warmer lands. He didn't want to turn back into the young prince he once was.

* * *

The roses never withered. The thief, Len, never came back after he left either. She wondered where he went. Did he perhaps return to his homeland after their talk? It was good if he did, the runaway son finally decided to come home. But she didn't think that his problem was that easy to resolve.

She smiled, nevertheless. It was good that he had stopped coming to ask for the rings all the time. Though she admitted that she missed him a little, and it was actually rather lonely being by herself again, at least she knew that the rings were safe. That was the most important part, after all. It was her duty to keep the rings safe from harm, and if there was ever a need for it she would have to use their power to settle any problems. She looked at the glass vase again, watching the two roses.

They must have been enchanted to survive for so long without withering. She wrapped her fingers around the silky petals, feeling them caress her skin. They made her wonder about the person who had given them to her. What was he doing now? She wished to look into his future, but it wasn't something she could control on a whim. The visions often came to her when she least expected it. In times of desperation she might be able to summon them, but true desperation rarely came to her, and in this case she certainly was not pushed to that extent. She was curious, but not terribly so.

In his previous future, the one she saw was a lifetime of loneliness, for he was lonely without his family despite not admitting it to anyone. She saw herself in him, this prince who was at once so different from yet so similar to her. Both of them were outcast in their own families, her for being too powerful, him for being too weak. Both of them were loved but never fully accepted, and she felt like if he were to appear before her again, she might confide in him – let him know all the fear and sadness she felt while growing up, the secret resentment, the need to be left alone to her thoughts.

How much would he understand? At least he made active use of his gifts. He was the gentleman thief who stole from the rich to give to the poor. But she, as the princess of Arabelle who still had two years to go before she came of age, was little more than a bird trapped in a gilded cage. She had to protect the rings, but _she_ had to be protected too. Nothing could befall the princess before she provided a heir to the throne, for only those of her bloodline could use the Five Rings. So she spent her time in the castle grounds, never leaving unless she was accompanied by one of the ministers.

The first night the thief came to her, she had been shocked that he could get past the guards and the defences, but at the same time she was delighted that there would be someone to talk to her – a person who did not nag at her the way the advisors did, nor did he grovel to her like the servants and the guards. He spoke to her like she was a normal person, though his usage of the word 'princess' indicated that he already knew who she was. She was fascinated by his easy charm and manner and did not call the guards, even finding his request for the Five Rings of Izar to be rather entertaining.

"Where are you, Kagamine Len?" she whispered, looking up at the starry night sky. The moon looked so graceful surrounded by all those stars, but at the same time it seemed so alone. She identified with the moon the most of all – surrounded by so many others, but never really seeming to fit in with any group. Yet with the young prince of Fayle, she might finally have found a kindred spirit.

* * *

"Hello," she came out to the balcony as the thief turned, smiling at her. He looked the same as ever, though it had been over a month since she last saw him. During that one month, she came out to the balcony every night, and tonight was no exception – just that tonight, he had actually returned.

"Where did you go?" she asked, not demanding an answer but just curious about what he had been doing. He sighed, sitting haphazardly on the parapet. She decided against warning him to be careful – he had heard her before plenty of times, and he never listened to her. He would be all right even if he fell off anyway. "You left without warning for an entire month, you know," she added mildly.

"I know that," he made a face. "Are you worried about me, princess?" he raised an eyebrow. She stared quietly at him and in the end his shoulders sagged. "I went back to my hometown. Fayle. I wanted to see what had changed during the six years I ran away…" he admitted. She waited patiently for him to continue and he cleared his throat before continuing. "I was about to leave when something, my intuition perhaps, told me that I should at least say hello to my parents. Though they are surrounded by corrupt advisors, my family has always loved me and cared for me. They surely must have been worried."

"So was that why you stayed there for a month?" she asked, interested. It was nice if Len could reconcile with his family. He hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding, and she exhaled in relief. "It is nice to see that you have spoken to them again. At least you have a family, even if you do not wish to be with them at the moment," she said wistfully, her green eyes acquiring a dreamy look.

He remembered that her entire family was dead and instantly felt sorry for her, but at the same time he knew that she would not wish to be reminded of that so he held his tongue. "We exchanged a few greetings, my family was overjoyed to see me…and I stayed with them for a few weeks, as my mother made me promise," he shook his head. "But they still cannot see the actions of the corrupt. Without proof nothing will ever be done, but I have nothing more than the stories from my youth to back up my words now. The ministers are careful around me," he gritted his teeth. "In the end I could not stand the secrecy and the lies, so I ran away again. Does that make me a coward?"

"No, it doesn't. It is simply a tactical retreat," she answered, and he relaxed a little. "But one day you should go back to expose the ministers so that your family will not continue to be deceived by them. It is something you ought to do, if you wish the best for them," she added carefully. The prince – or the thief, she was still unsure about which title he would prefer – nodded at that, keeping her words in mind. "But you are back here, of all places. Why return here after leaving Fayle?"

"I am curious," he admitted. "I would like to know more about my future, princess of Arabelle. Do you think you could give me a clue regarding what is to come? I don't know if I should go back home…my family told me that Fayle is preparing for war with Balthar, a state which has always been bigger and stronger than ours. But it is the last straw for my family, they are tired of Balthar's oppression. I should be there, preparing for war with them, but I am worth nothing in battle," he looked despondent. "What should I do, Miku?" he addressed her by her given name, which came as a bit of a shock to her.

"I cannot look into the future as and when I wish to," she inclined her head, "but if your biggest fear is the magical arts…" she hesitated. "Perhaps I can help you with that," she finally offered quietly. "My kingdom's most precious treasure is not the rings, though of course they are important and valuable. It is our magic, our knowledge, our skills. And as the princess," she clasped her hands together, parting them slowly to reveal a trapped beam of golden light between her palms, "I wield the strongest magic, and I know the most spells. If you like, I can teach you a few offensive spells."

Len was staring in fascination at the trapped beam of light, which danced and twisted between Miku's hands. The rays seemed to writhe within the beams, light made slow and viscous like molten lava. He reached a hand out towards it in wonder, but Miku clapped her hands back together. "No, I wouldn't touch that if I were you," she cautioned. "That light is beautiful, but deadly. A simple touch could fry a man," she concluded. Len hastily withdrew his hand. "Would you like my assistance?"

He remained silent for a while. "Why are you helping me?" he finally asked, his voice so small that it was almost inaudible. "Are you not afraid that I would come back to steal your rings using the spells that you have taught me? Or that my family would one day wage war against Arabelle? And if spells are something your people value more than your rings, then why are you sharing all this with me?"

She smiled. "It is true that our knowledge is precious, but knowledge is also meant to be shared," she placed a hand on his shoulder. His body was stiff. "I do not fear you. You cannot open the box without knowing a specific incantation, which of course I will not teach you. And as for your family, we are at peace. There will be no war. Arabelle does not take sides against anyone," she declared firmly. "Besides, I will not teach you so much that you can win in a duel against my people," she added. "It would just be enough to overwhelm Balthar. They are not extremely proficient in terms of battle magic – in fact, the only advantage they have over Fayle is that Balthar has far more soldiers than your home does."

"I thank you for your trust in me," the prince bowed to her, and she bade him rise. He did as she asked, his gaze drifting to the glass vase where she kept the roses. His eyes widened in surprise as he realised that the flowers were still there. "And I see that you never threw them away…" he entered her room, walking towards the roses, Miku following him carefully. "They are lovely, are they not?" he murmured, reaching out to touch the silken petals. The roses were still as fresh as they were on the day she received them.

"Indeed," she agreed. Even her own rose gardens did not have roses so beautiful. Len smiled at that, turning to face her. To her surprise, he was holding yet another rose in his hands, and this time it was a pink one. "How are you getting all these beautiful flowers?" she asked, unable to help herself.

"These roses were from my private garden back in Fayle," his eyes twinkled. "They have never been enchanted – they are magical roses, bred from scratch to bloom in the very heart of winter. You could leave them out in a blizzard and they would still survive," he stroked the pink petals pensively. "The royal gardener was looking after my roses in my absence. They were the one thing I missed from home," he held the flower out to her. "Thank you for being my mentor. I appreciate it."

"You are welcome," she placed the pink rose in the vase as well. The three roses were stunning to behold. "Then you must have a place to rest here, in the castle. But before I bring you to your room, you must promise not to steal anything from our premises," she warned. The prince's blue eyes twinkled with mischief, and before she knew it he grabbed her hand, pressing his lips to her skin.

"My Lady," he laughed, "your heart is the only thing in this castle which I would like to steal."


	2. doppelgänger

doppelgänger

"It's just a little bit of fun," the blonde shrugged, not looking in the least bit sorry for her actions. Mikuo stared at the sleeping girl in shock, still unable to accept the fact that she was wearing his face.

"Fun? To create a harpy who looks exactly like me?" he scowled. Kagamine Rin, the Goddess of War and Battle, shrugged again, managing to make the simple action look like a gesture of absolute defiance. Her twin brother Kagamine Len, the God of Harmony, stepped between them to try and defuse the situation.

"Now, now," he tried, "we all know that Rin didn't mean to cause any hurt feelings. Besides, don't you think that she is quite the lovely creature?" they all looked at the slumbering harpy. Mikuo frowned – actually, wasn't there something abnormal about her? He knew there was something missing from this girl, something that made her _different_ – and, when she muttered something in her sleep and turned around, he realised what it was. This harpy didn't have wings. Her back was bare and smooth.

"She lacks wings. How is she to serve you?" Mikuo pointed it out upon his realisation. Rin frowned too, having evidently forgotten about that while she was creating the creature. Without her wings, the harpy looked almost…human. No doubt she still had the same vicious streak as the rest of her sisters, all harpies took after their mistress after all, but Mikuo could almost trick himself into believing that she was a mere mortal, slumbering in the presence of gods. Len looked a little uncomfortable.

"I'm sure she will be helpful even without wings, am I right, sister?" he asked. Rin didn't answer immediately, instead staring down at her creation. The harpy was naked on the ground, her eyes still closed, and Mikuo wondered if she had the same green eyes as his. Her long teal hair spilled down her back, going all the way to her hips, and her pale limbs almost glowed with pearly luminescence. She was a beautiful creature, easily one of the loveliest harpies Rin had ever made, and if it wasn't for the fact that she looked almost exactly like him, Mikuo would have thought her mesmerising.

"I will find a use for her," Rin finally sighed. "I was so excited about watching the look on Mikuo's face when he sees her that I forgot to give her wings. They're the last part, always so easy to leave out," she frowned to herself. "Anyway, Len, let us go. I have war and passions to stir," she grinned. Her twin brother just shook his head wordlessly, and the siblings both disappeared in a flash of blinding light, taking the new-born harpy away with them. Mikuo exhaled, deciding to go about his usual business.

He was the messenger of the gods and the God of Speed and Travellers, which made him extremely busy. He could already hear his irate father calling out for him, so with a snap of his fingers he sped over to heed his summons. For that moment, the harpy who looked so much like him was forgotten.

* * *

Mikuo walked through the Underworld, grimacing. He hated delivering messages to his uncle, who was so paranoid about intruders that his magic prevented any gods from just teleporting themselves into his palace, despite them all being family. Then again, they were a family full of backstabbers…

Gods were so troublesome. He sighed. Being the messenger meant that he took no sides in any war among the gods, and right now Rin and the God of Wisdom, Kagene Rei, were arguing with each other and turning the whole of Lybra into a battleground. In that sense he was glad to get out for a while, but being in the Underworld did not make him feel much better. It was a gloomy place, and if you listened hard enough you could hear the moans and wails of the mortals damned to stay here forevermore.

Well, he didn't have time to waste. He continued to pick his way through the dark, moist valley, muttering curses the whole time. The very least Teiru could do was to make a clear path through the valley so that the other gods could visit him easily, but his uncle was a complete loner and disliked having visitors so here they were. If Leon himself did not send him with a message for Teiru, Mikuo wouldn't be in here at all. Glaring at the plant roots which continued twining around his feet, he conjured up a fireball and tossed it at the plant, causing it to recoil from the heat. Kicking the stump away, he continued, looking around the Underworld valley for signs of his uncle's gloomy palace.

The palace shifted every couple of days, another measure his uncle had put to avoid entertaining the other gods. From what he could sense, the palace was among the fields of Targa today, where the souls of those who committed misdeeds in battle were sent to rot. Rin's Harpies controlled the area, sharing the territory with their male Svinn counterparts. Mikuo never understood why Rin had to make two separate species of avian humanoids – couldn't she just have made some male harpies?

Harpies were beautiful winged women filled with vicious cruelty, swooping down from the skies to cast judgement upon those who died a dishonourable death. They picked on traitors and turncoats especially. Svinns were similar to the harpies in that they had wings, but while the harpies had the wings of a giant eagle, Svinns had wings more like a bat's. Svinns tortured the souls of those who hurt or killed the vulnerable in war, like children, the ill and the elderly. Rin was the Goddess of War and Battle, but she believed in honour and righteousness, and cast aside any soldier who broke her laws.

He heard a loud shriek and looked overhead – a few seconds later, something threw itself at him from the skies and he went down with a grunt, startled by the impact. He felt cold metal against his throat and reacted without thinking – he closed his eyes and sent out a shockwave of magic, his attacker getting flung off him at the impact. Again, _another_ reason why his uncle should really allow teleportation through his realm…he stood, looking for his mysterious attacker, and saw a winged man grimacing while he wiped black blood away from his mouth. It was one of Rin's svinns.

"How dare you?" he spat, snapping his fingers – the svinn's neck was suddenly within his grip, and Mikuo was applying more and more pressure as the panicked svinn began to struggle. "How dare a lowly beast attack one of the gods. Give me a reason why I shouldn't just run you through right now," he sneered, tightening his grip. The winged man spluttered, bat wings flapping wildly.

"You…you look…like _her_!" he wheezed. Mikuo blinked, abruptly letting go, and the svinn fell to the ground, choking and gasping for breath. Mikuo looked down at the svinn, waiting for an explanation, and the svinn finally looked up at him, still kneeling. "I am…deeply sorry for attacking you, God of Messengers," he said stiffly. "You greatly resemble one of the harpies who shouldn't be roaming about in the Underworld. From afar I thought she escaped, so I sought to punish her. I see now that I am wrong."

"One of the harpies?" Mikuo was intrigued. So there was one which looked like him? "Where is she? Bring me to see her," he demanded. Leon's message could wait. Something almost like incredulity flashed across the svinn's face, but he dared not refuse, and he rose from the ground and beckoned to him to follow. His bat wings spreading, the svinn took off into the skies and Mikuo followed suit, his winged sandals taking him faster than the svinn could go. In silence, they flew together until they reached the dark crags of the Underworld, where the svinns and harpies made their home.

They flew through a yawning cave entrance, deeper into the mountains. It was dark, but Mikuo had no problems flying through, and he was unafraid – being a god on good terms with their mistress gave him quite the privilege. Eventually the rocky passageway opened up into a cavern, and the two of them alighted. There were only a few other winged beasts here, and all of them looked curiously at him before continuing with whatever they were doing. Some of them were talking in small groups, and others were crossing the cavern, going towards other places. There was a noticeable divide between the two species, with harpies and svinns sticking to their own kind. Mikuo wondered why.

"This way," the svinn who had tried to attack him led him down one of the passageways branching out from the cavern. Mikuo followed, though he could hear the harpies they left behind muttering between themselves. The svinns and harpies were bound to inform their mistress about Mikuo's presence in their home. Well, he wasn't doing anything wrong, so he wasn't worried. Besides, Rin had better things than the God of Messenger's presence in the Underworld to focus on right now.

This time, the passageway seemed to extend for much longer than the previous one. Mikuo was beginning to feel suspicious. "This had better not be a trap," he warned the svinn, whose wings were flapping quickly ahead of him. The svinn looked back at him, something akin to fear on his face, and Mikuo decided that the creature didn't have the guts to do anything to him. He was a god, and it would take a whole lot more than a lowly svinn to hurt him, let alone kill him. But flying through the dark for so long was tedious. It reminded him that he was actually supposed to find his uncle…

Right as he thought about delivering the message to Teiru, the passageway opened up into another cavern, this one much smaller than the previous one. The svinn alighted on the rocky ground and Mikuo followed suit, looking around curiously. He didn't think this was the living quarters of the svinns, it was far too small – in fact, it seemed to be a bedroom of sorts, judging from the simple furnishings. "So where is this harpy?" Mikuo demanded, noting that the bedroom was empty.

In response, the svinn cupped his hands around his mouth and called out. Though Mikuo saw his mouth open, there was no sound, and he waited impatiently for something to happen, or maybe for someone to materialise. After a while, the svinn lowered his arms and turned to face him. "She will appear," he said gravely. The god scowled, but decided to linger and wait. It wasn't like he had anything better to do anyway…well, besides delivering a message, but Teiru could wait for that.

Suddenly, a girl fell from the ceiling, landing with a soft _thump_ on the bed. There were dark bruises all over her pale skin, and her long teal hair – hair the exact same colour as his – spilled over the bedsheet. She didn't seem to be conscious. The svinn shuffled from foot to foot, looking almost nervous. "There she is," he explained. "May I leave now, God of Messengers?" now he sounded shifty. But Mikuo wanted him out of the room anyway. He wished to take a closer look at the girl.

A harpy? But she had no wings… "You're dismissed," he waved his hand, and the svinn darted out of the room quicker than the eye could see. Mikuo slowly approached the bed, staring at the girl – she was lying face down on the thin mattress, and he knew his eyes were not tricking him – here was a harpy without wings! But that stirred up old memories…it was almost as though he had seen this before…

He got close, and suddenly the girl's hand latched out, grabbing on to his arm. Mikuo froze, startled, and he felt her sharp talons digging into his skin. Abruptly he shook her off – it was easy, she was clearly weak and exhausted – and she lifted her head, staring at him with hatred in her bright green eyes. Those eyes widened in surprise when they took him in, and she parted her lips as though wishing to say something, but no voice came out. Mikuo looked warily at her. "I mean you no harm," he stated.

The girl shook her head. He could see dark circles beneath her eyes, and her face was pallid. Again, she parted her lips, but no voice came out. She raised her hands, frustrated, and did something with them – he stared, and realised that she was miming drinking out of a bowl. He waved his hand and conjured up a flask of water, which she snatched and drank greedily, looking better with every gulp she took. When she was done, she tossed the flask onto the ground, now watching him carefully.

He broke the silence first. "What are you?" he asked. She flinched. "You are a harpy, yet you have no wings. And why are you in this room? Why do you…look like me?" he tilted his head, studying her. It was really quite a mystery. The girl withdrew from him slightly, shifting across the bed. He noticed that she was wearing little more than rags, a dark grey sheath that was ripped to shreds, as though it had been torn apart by claws. Her skin was littered with purple and yellow bruises, and her lips were bleeding a little, now that he was close enough to notice that. She looked like she had been tortured.

"I am a harpy," she answered, evidently able to speak after quenching her thirst. Her voice was high-pitched and cracked, hoarse with disuse. "I was born without wings. I do not know why. I am in this room because the svinns use me as entertainment. I do not know why I look like you," her gaze met his, then her green eyes flitted away quickly, not daring to stare for too long. "But I know you are a god. You smell of power," she added. "Are you the god of messengers?" she had noticed his sandals.

"Yes, I am," he responded, wondering about what to ask next. "Why are you kept with the svinns rather than with the harpies, then?" he finally spoke up. The girl exhaled, her shoulders slumping in what seemed to be resignation. The more time he spent here, the more aware he became of just how small and miserable this room was. Perhaps she was a prisoner…but that didn't make any sense.

"The harpies have no use for what is useless," her tone was flat. "Without wings, there is little I can do. Our mistress gave orders to the harpies not to hurt me or use me for entertainment, but she also forgot that we share a home with the svinns, who were given no such order. So here I am, a prisoner in my own home, a toy to the men who run this area," she let out a small, humourless laugh.

"Why do you not call out for Rin?" Mikuo continued to ask. He wasn't sure if the wingless harpy was offended by his questioning or not, but if she was she made no sign of that. Instead, she curled up into a ball on the bed, rocking back and forth slightly. Mikuo thought that she looked truly pitiful.

"She cannot hear me, here in the Underworld. You are a god. You should know that the Underworld is sealed to the other gods," her voice was soft. "She can only hear me if I fly to the surface, and as we all know, I cannot fly," she gestured to her back, which was smooth and unlined, no sign of wings anywhere. "Besides, I have grown accustomed to my situation," she added. "I loathe the svinns, and I fantasise about gouging their eyes out with my talons every second I am conscious, but I am used to their ways. They keep me weak so that I cannot attack them," she admitted. Mikuo frowned.

"But why would they toy with you? What do they _do_ , exactly?" a thought occurred to him. "Outside, I saw the harpies and svinns avoiding each other, staying to their own small groups. Does that have anything to do with…your arrangement?" he waved his hand, unsure about how to describe the harpy's situation. The girl shrugged her thin shoulders, looking entirely apathetic about his question.

"Possibly. The svinns and harpies do not like each other much," she informed him. "They only mix with each other when the situation calls for it. We are too different, you see. Svinns are half-men and half-bat, while harpies are half-women and half-eagle. We have nothing in common," she fell silent for a moment, and Mikuo waited for her to continue – he could sense that she wasn't done talking. "They use me as entertainment," she finally added, unwilling to divulge anything more.

"What kind of entertainment?" he pushed. Her head snapped up and she glared at him – he felt like he had touched a nerve, but he held his ground. He was a god with immeasurable power, and she was aware of that – after a few seconds she sighed and shook her head, looking almost irritated.

"Even for a god, you are persistent," she muttered, much to his amusement. How strange, that a lowly beast like a harpy dared to talk to him in such a manner. "Sexual entertainment, of course. I may not have wings, but I am still a harpy, and harpy women are beautiful. Without wings I cannot run away," she shot him another glare. "This exit is sealed by svinn magic. Only svinns can pass through the door, though other powerful magical beings may break the barrier if they wish. Like you, I would say," she shook her head. "Svinns are winged men, and most of all they are cruel. To them, mortal women are strange enough, but they understand that humans cannot fly. However, a harpy without wings is strange, almost exciting, to them. Half of them want to kill me and the other half is in love with me. The two halves are not mutually exclusive," it was the most she had ever spoken at one go, and when she was done she coughed, falling silent. She did not seem to wish to continue talking.

Mikuo pondered over her words for a while. This was all very interesting. He decided to ask one last question. "What is your name?" he watched her, wondering if she would bother to respond. The girl gave him a long, careful look, and he could see himself reflected in her green eyes. She really looked so much like him – Mikuo could almost remember why, where he had seen her before. It definitely had something to do with Rin and a stupid prank, but it had been centuries ago…and Mikuo had a pretty bad memory for things that went beyond a few decades. It was a side-effect of being the god of messengers. Once he was done delivering a particular message, he wiped it clean out of his mind, and the same thing applied to most of his memories. If only he could recall this particular one!

"Miku," she finally said after a while. "Hatsune Miku. At least that was what I remember my mistress calling me before she sent me to join the other harpies," she finally concluded, bowing her head. She looked defeated. Mikuo stared, shaking his head slightly. At the sound of her name, the memory came back to mind – Rin saying it was a prank, and Len had been there, and they all realised the girl had no wings…oh yes, it all came back to him now. And Rin actually named her after him, too!

"I am the messenger of the gods," he started, catching her attention, "and my name is Hatsune Mikuo. I remember you now," he said wonderingly, his gaze flitting from feature to feature. Her eyes widened in surprise at his name – perhaps she was drawing similar conclusions. Looking at her was like staring at his own reflection. "Your mistress created a harpy in my likeness because she wanted to know what I would look like as a female. She forgot to give you wings during the process," he frowned. "How careless of her…" the girl bowed her head again, uncertain about how to respond. He let out a sigh. "I can't just leave you here. You look too much like me. It tugs at my conscience – it'd be like throwing aside my own flesh-and-blood," he muttered, holding a hand out towards her.

She regarding him suspiciously. "Are you going to save me from the svinns?" she asked. Her limbs were trembling slightly, and his keen eyes picked up on that. His gaze settled on her face again, silently drinking in each feature and committing it to memory. She looked like him, but no, it wasn't precisely the same. There was a delicateness to her face that was not present in his own. A feminine version of him, yes. Larger eyes, a smaller, upturned nose and small pink lips shaped like rose petals.

He hated to admit it, but Rin had done a marvellous job with this harpy – save for the missing wings. Or he might be thinking that because she looked like him. "What does it look like I'm doing?" he asked in return, giving her an irate stare. She hesitated for a moment, but slowly she reached out a hand and placed it in his. Her hands were smaller than his and somewhat paler, and when he closed his fingers around hers and pulled her off the bed, he could feel just how light and thin she was.

"I hope you can walk," he patted the top of her head, smoothing down the teal locks. Even her hair felt like his, every strand as fine and soft. "As you know, even the gods cannot teleport out of Teiru's dark Underworld. And I still have business here, so you may have to follow me for a while," he paused. "But before we leave, tell me – out of all the svinns who toyed with you, which one was the most vicious?"

The girl narrowed her eyes. "The leader's second-in-command," she answered. "A foul man with little pity for anyone he deems weaker than him. Harpies and Svinns are made from the viciousness our mistress cast aside – she is honour and bravery in war, while we are the dark sides to battle. We are the cruelty she discarded, and some of us are more wicked than the others," he could see her flexing her fingers. Her fingernails sharpened into dark talons. "If only one svinn is to be punished, it'll be him."

Mikuo nodded, then passed his hands over her head, running them down to her neck. His hands glowed with a faint light, and as he watched the harpy's skin flushed with colour, the dark bruises noticeably fading. The harpy gasped, her hair fluttering in a wind felt only by her, and by the time Mikuo let go she looked much better than she did before. "I am not the God of Healing," he smiled, "but I _am_ the messenger god and I'm known as a jack-of-all-trades. I may not be able to help you recover completely, but I certainly can heal you enough for you to get out of here without my assistance."

She looked over herself, staring at her long limbs with wonder in her green eyes. It pleased him, to see her looking healthy and energetic. "Thank you," she breathed. "You are not my master, but I am in your debt, God of Messengers," she knelt on one knee, lowering her head in deference. He bade her rise, and she did so excitedly, bloodlust in her gaze. "I will show you a shortcut out of this cave. It will take us past the main room where most of the svinns dwell. The svinn I spoke of is certain to be there. If it does not take up too much of your time, will you accompany me there, God of Messengers?"

He inclined his head. "Lead the way," he answered. The harpy nodded and darted over to the other side of the room, to the bare rock wall. There was a long crack right down the centre, which he felt certain was a hidden door. She felt carefully along the surface, and there was a sudden 'click' sound. The rock wall slowly rumbled open, the two halves of the wall pulling apart and disappearing into the sides. Mikuo could feel the presence of foreign magic here, and remembered what the harpy said about the exit being protected by svinn spells. It shouldn't be any problem for him to bypass.

He concentrated for a moment, the harpy watching him carefully, and clapped once – the barrier shattered, and just like that they were able to go through. The girl looked ecstatic. "My good fortune to look like you then, even if I don't have wings," she glanced at him for a moment, then darted away into the gaping darkness beyond. Mikuo followed suit, and the two of them began to crawl through the tunnel. He could feel the ground sloping upwards, and wondered where they would end up.

Suddenly, the girl before him stopped. "We are near the exit of the tunnel," she whispered, "but it would be unwise to come out if there are many svinns present. Is it possible for you to sense how many there are outside?" she pressed herself against the wall, making space for him to pass by her. He could hear her breathing, filled with excitement and rage. Years and years of pent-up fury burned within her – the harpies were not called bloodthirsty for nothing. It suited them, to be the immortal punishers of sinners in the Underworld. He closed his eyes, letting his consciousness reach out.

"Only three, and two are weak," he finally told her. Even in the darkness her green eyes glowed. "If we want to go, now would be a good time," he continued. The girl barely finished listening to him before she shot out of the tunnel into the complex. He followed at a slower pace, wondering what she would do to the svinns. When he emerged from the passageway, he saw that one of the winged men was already lying dead on the ground, his throat ripped out, while the other weak one was fleeing from the complex, screaming in terror. The flightless harpy was facing down the third svinn, the strong one – probably the second-in-command whom she was talking about earlier.

Mikuo hung back. This was not his fight to interfere in. The unfortunate svinn was panting, his bat wings flapping as they kept him up in the air, out of reach – one of the wings dangled by a mere tendon, having almost been torn out by sharp talons. The harpy was standing on the ground and screeching in fury, rage in her eyes. She looked wild and strong, the complete opposite of the weak, dishevelled girl he first saw in the room. Mikuo felt almost proud. It wasn't like he advocated for violence or anything – he was, after all, a neutral god – but it was nice to see how powerful his mirror image was.

The harpy quickly scaled the walls of the cave, her sharp talons allowing her to grip the tiny cracks in the rock. The svinn continued to hold himself aloft in the air, though his broken wing seemed to make that a struggle. He clearly did not believe that the harpy could reach him, but if the girl was anything like Mikuo himself, then he ought to expect the unexpected…the girl turned, baring her sharp teeth at the svinn, before she flung herself away from the wall and flew through the air.

It seemed almost like she wouldn't make it as the svinn flapped his wing, trying to go further up into the air, but she desperately reached out an arm and managed to latch on to the svinn's bare foot. The man screamed, trying to shake her off, but her talons dug deep into his flesh and she held on tight, trying to scramble up his body. Her weight was too much for the single wing to carry, and they began to drop from the air, both parties shrieking in fury at each other. Mikuo continued to watch.

Aware that the commotion would no doubt attract the attention of other svinns, he looked around for the other entrances and sealed them with his magic, content to let the two creatures battle it out. He already could guess who would win, anyway. The harpy and svinn crashed onto the ground, Miku using the man as a cushion against the blow, before she wrapped her hand around the svinn's neck and smiled. It was the sweetest, most tender smile Mikuo had ever seen on anyone's face.

But there was cruelty in her gaze, and he almost missed what she whispered to the svinn. "You took away my freedom. So I will take your eyes."

* * *

"Master Len, God of Harmony," Miku knelt deferentially upon seeing the blond god, who stared at Mikuo in shock, gaze flitting between the two of them. Mikuo just shrugged. He decided to bring his mirror image back to Lybra – what else could he do? He couldn't just _leave_ her in the Underworld.

"Why do you have a wingless harpy with you?" Len asked, nodding at the harpy and indicating for her to rise. Mikuo raised an eyebrow as she followed his command, still keeping her head bowed. He did not know that Len had any influence over his twin sister's underlings. It had to be a privilege of being on good terms with your sibling. Len and Rin were quite possibly the only twins in Lybra who actually got along with each other. "The one who looks so much like you…I remember you. You are Miku."

"Yes, Master," she answered, her tone clipped. She did not seem to particularly enjoy the sound of her name, come to think of it. Mikuo had never really referred to her by her name, at least not yet. Oh well, all the better if she didn't like her name. It'd make things easier for him. "The messenger god rescued me from the svinns," she added, "so I am forever in his debt. But thinking of how to explain the situation to my mistress…it troubles me," she stated, keeping her gaze fixed on the ground.

Len chuckled. "Oh, you don't need to fret," he answered surprisingly easily. "Come here, I'll take you to her," the god's blue eyes darted to Mikuo again, filled with curiosity, but he placed his arm around the girl's shoulders and led her down the corridor to where Rin's room in the heavens was. Mikuo followed them, though he doubted that the goddess was even in her chambers. Rin was a maniac when she was arguing with one of the other gods, and Rei was a difficult opponent to face in battle.

"Len, have Rin and Rei come to a truce?" he called, looking around Lybra. He wasn't sure how much time he had spent in the Underworld, time usually passed…differently there. It could have been a few seconds; it could have been a few decades. He wasn't entirely sure. Len glanced back at Mikuo, something like concern in his eyes, but he nodded anyway. Mikuo exhaled in relief. Well, he honestly didn't care what the terms of the truce were as long as Rin and Rei stopped tearing Lybra apart.

They came to Rin's chamber. "Sister," Len raised his voice, "you have a visitor," he knocked on the large wooden door, which was carved with scenes of battle and bloodshed. Mikuo grimaced, looking at the carvings, but his mirror image stared hungrily at the scene – a harpy, through and through. There was a moment of complete silence, then suddenly the door was flung open and the Goddess of War and Battle stood there, anger in her blue eyes. The rage faded when she saw the harpy, and she looked up at the two gods, giving them quizzical looks. Len shrugged. "Mikuo returned with her."

"You abducted one of my harpies?" Rin began, stepping forward aggressively, but the girl blocked the goddess's way to him, much to Mikuo's relief. The goddess withdrew in shock, tilting her head to watch the harpy, and for the first time she seemed to notice her resemblance to Mikuo himself. Recognition sparked in her eyes. "What is the meaning of this?" she demanded, staring at him.

"I am in his debt, Mistress," the harpy knelt here as well, hanging her head. The goddess did not say anything, and Miku continued. "He saved me from the abuse of the svinns in the Underworld. I have tried praying for help, but you could not hear me…" she hesitated. "The svinns were amused by the presence of a flightless harpy. For centuries I was used as a toy. Sometimes, I wondered why you created me – if the only purpose you ever intended for me was to be an outlet for their aggression," she admitted, her voice becoming very small. It was the first time Mikuo had seen her so nervous.

Well, then again Rin _was_ her patron goddess. Rin stiffened. "The svinns?" she said slowly, slanting her gaze over to her brother as she said the word. Mikuo observed the God of Harmony and noticed that he seemed a little uncomfortable at the mention of the winged males. "I will punish them for what they did to you, my child," Rin leant down, tilting the harpy's chin so that the teal haired girl was forced to look at her. The goddess's blue eyes crackled with energy. "But you are right, you are in Mikuo's debt," she bared her teeth in his direction, and Mikuo frowned back at her. What was she thinking? "I do not trust him fully…the messenger god has sired many children with mortals in the past," she added dryly, and he blinked. Was that really her main concern? "Are you not afraid?"

Miku looked at him too, her green eyes unreadable. Fiery energy still simmered in her gaze, a raw passion that was not present in his own eyes. That, he decided, was the main difference between him and his doppelganger. She was still young and angry, while he had grown jaded with the passage of time. "I am not afraid," she answered, and though she still looked deferential, her clear voice rang with obvious defiance. Rin nodded, exchanging yet another look with Len. Len looked a little nervous.

What was the God of Harmony thinking about? "Very well. By your request and my authority, I release you from my service," as Rin spoke the words, a strong wind seemed to swirl around the two women, lifting their hair – the air sizzled with magic. "You are to serve the God of Messengers for as long as he deems fit, until your debt to him is repaid. Then, child, you return to me," Rin placed her hand over the harpy's head and both women closed their eyes. Mikuo and Len simply watched.

A few seconds later the winds died down and Miku rose from the floor, inclining her head towards her former mistress. "Thank you," she said simply. Rin nodded, before she turned to Mikuo and gave him a deathly glare – the teal haired god was suddenly tempted to hide behind her twin brother.

"Do anything to make her suffer, and you will feel my wrath," the goddess declared, and Mikuo knew she meant every word. He nodded – he didn't have any ill intentions anyway, not towards a girl who looked so much like himself – and Rin swept back into her room, beckoning to her brother to come along with her. Len followed unhappily – his reluctance was written all over his face – and then the large door to the chamber swung shut, leaving Mikuo and Miku alone in the hallway of the gods.

"Well," he spoke to his new servant, "follow me. I have many errands to run. Being the messenger god is tiring, and it'd be useful to have an extra set of hands…although you can't fly," he stared at her and she sighed, avoiding his gaze. He relented. "You may not have wings, but you might well prove yourself useful in other ways," he beckoned to her, and she followed him down the hall. "For example, like what your dear former mistress said, my siring of children. Not a task, but a burden rather – I have so many that I can't respond to all of them at once. So you will take my place," he explained.

The harpy sighed again, louder this time. "How many children do you have?" she asked, as though she was dreading the answer. Mikuo paused and thought for a while, and in the end he shrugged – he really didn't have any idea, actually. And besides, his number was nothing compared to his father's. Or to Luki's, the womanising God of Mischief. Or maybe even to Len's? He knew Len had plenty of demigod children as well. Which was actually rather shocking, given his relatively mild personality.

"That's not important," he snapped his fingers, and the double doors at the end of the hallway flew open, allowing him to enter the realm of Lybra proper. "Just know that you need to do this job. Do it well, for my reputation hinges upon it. And oh, since I don't actually go around creating servants like Rin, I don't have any sleeping quarters for you and I don't exactly want to put you together with the nymphs either," he shook his head. "They are very…frivolous. So for now, you'll share a room with me until I finally decide upon where to place you," he smiled, noticing her stiffen. "Are you nervous, Miku?"

She jumped at the sound of her name, but held his stare. Something almost like a smirk curved her rose petal lips. "To spend a night with you?" she answered. "I have lasted centuries alone in the Underworld, tolerating everything the svinns ever did to me," the smirk disappeared as her lips twisted, becoming a snarl. Her green eyes blazed. "There is no longer anything for me to be afraid of."


	3. revel

revel

"You know I'm not fussy, Mama," he walked with her through the park, holding up her parasol. His mother drew her cloak tighter around her to protect against the winter chill. "It's not that I don't want to marry, nor am I extremely choosy about appearance or background. But I don't think it's right to look for a girl and take her to be my bride without…without a mutual sense of attraction."

His mother, Kagamine Lily, let out a sigh. "You are ever the romantic, Len," she peered closely at her son, the young man with the easy smile and gentle laugh. He was quite popular among the ladies, but he had yet to marry any one of them. It was quite strange. Lily didn't think that it was rational to believe in true love or Fate – after all, she had married Len's father shortly after meeting him for the first time, since theirs had been an arranged marriage. But they were still happily together now, were they not? In fact, she personally thought that a marriage out of love would be more inconvenient than an arranged one.

"No, not a romantic. I just don't want to end up like my aunt and uncle," he winced. "Rei tells me that their fights are quite terrible – you and Papa are fortunate, Mama. Rin and I are certainly lucky that you two get along so splendidly, but not every marriage will end up like yours," he added lightly, holding his mother's hand and helping her down the bridge. Snow fell from the sky, cloaking the park in fresh white, and he thought that they ought to get back to the mansion soon.

"I would think that your cousin's situation is the exception, rather," Lily shook her head. "Many other nobles find themselves in arranged marriages and there are few which sour so spectacularly. Anyway, this will not distract me from the topic at hand. As I've said, you have three options – the Nakajima family, the Megurine family and the Hatsune family's daughters. Nakajima Gumi is rather young but her family is interested in pairing you two up, if you are willing to wait for three more years before the girl turns eighteen..." Len made a face and shook his head. He was not interested in a girl who was so much younger than him. He was already twenty-two! No, he'd like someone slightly closer to him in age – he felt that this would make it easier for him to have a conversation with his wife.

Then again he didn't really think this would go anywhere. Whether or not he wanted to marry the girl was up to his decision anyway, but he would hear his mother out just to pacify her. "Well. If you are not interested…there is Megurine Luka, I'm sure you know of her. A lovely girl, such a sweet dear and an absolute delight to talk to. She's only two years younger than you, so you would not have to wait," Lily gave him his second option. Len shook his head again, more vehemently this time. His friend, Shion Kaito, had his eye on Megurine Luka and he did not wish to ruin his friend's happiness. Kaito and Luka were childhood friends, and they had an enviable bond. The girl was obviously rather interested in Kaito too, so that was out.

His mother exhaled. "Then in that case I will set up a meeting between you and the Hatsune family's daughter. Her name is Hatsune Miku – I am sure you have never seen her before," she added when Len raised an eyebrow. "No one really has, to tell the truth. The Hatsune family is wealthy, and their son, Hatsune Mikuo, is well-known among the aristocracy. But his little sister, Hatsune Miku, is rarely seen out of the house and whenever she is, her face is always hidden from view. Rumour says that she was badly disfigured by some foul malady when she was a child," Lily glanced at him. "Are you absolutely certain that you would not mind having an…unattractive wife?" she asked, curious.

Len blinked. "We're not arranging marriage right now, are we? Isn't this just for me to get to know her a little better?" he felt a little uneasy when he heard about her possible disfiguration, but the least he could do was to meet the girl. Perhaps the rumours were wrong. "Whether or not we actually marry each other would depend on our individual decisions. She may not like me either."

"We'll see about that," Lily murmured, then both mother and son decided to leave the park. The snow fell thickly, and it didn't take long before fresh powder covered up their tracks, as though they had never been in the park at all.

* * *

Hatsune Mikuo greeted him as the servant took Len's coat, hanging it near the door. He shook his head, brushing snow off his hair – the weather was particularly bad today, but at least it wasn't so terrible that he could not leave the house. "Ah, the Earl of Langdon! You are here today to see my little sister, am I right to assume that?" Mikuo asked, sending the servant away. Len slowly nodded.

"I hear that she is sickly?" Len asked, following the Marquis down the hallway. Mikuo led him to the parlour, where a servant was setting out some tea and biscuits on a low table. Mikuo's mother, the Duchess Cantebel, looked up as both men entered the parlour. She was reading a book, and Len nodded at her – the woman was beautiful, sharing the same green eyes and teal hair as her son, Hatsune Mikuo. Len thought that if his prospective wife looked anything at all like her mother, she would be stunning. It made him curious about whether or not she really always wore a veil.

"She is always sickly," Mikuo sighed, shaking his head, though something like mischief glinted in his green eyes. "Such a frail child! I remember when we were little being out in the chill for even five minutes would give her a fever. We rarely let her out of the house as a result of that. She has a remarkably weak constitution," he explained. Mikuo's mother nodded at that, closing her book and peering up at them. "Mama, I will call for Miku," Mikuo smiled, turning and leaving the parlour.

The Duchess beckoned to him to sit on the settee next to her, and carefully Len did as she wanted. She looked closely at him, and Len found it rather hard to meet her gaze for some reason – she had penetrating green eyes which seemed to stare into his very soul. "My daughter requires a great deal of special attention," she finally spoke. Her voice was quiet but firm. "Her health is poor, especially in comparison to her older brother's, so if you two are to marry you must promise to take good care of her," she cautioned. Len fidgeted a little, but nodded – now didn't seem like the right time to say that he wasn't definitely going to marry her daughter. The woman relaxed, then gave him a smile.

He stayed there quietly, twiddling his thumbs, as the Duchess resumed reading her book. He did not know where the Duke, the head of the Hatsune family, was – he assumed he was out of the country for now since he saw Mikuo taking his father's place a few days ago during the annual Winter ball. "Your daughter, Miku…" he started, and the Duchess raised her gaze, looking over her book at him, "was she really ill in her youth? I heard rumours that she was terribly sick when she was a child," he added tactfully, thinking it would be in poor taste to add that the disease supposedly scarred her.

A strange look crossed the woman's face. "Yes, she was," she answered. "But she's always been ill, so that's nothing new. She is very delicate. Of course now it's gotten better – as she grew older her health improved too, but we still take precautions," she tilted her head. "Is there anything more you would like to know, Earl?" she asked, her sharp eyes piercing through him. He hastily shook his head.

Just then, Len heard the sound of footsteps and saw the Marquis returning, a slight figure dressed in black following him. Len looked at the figure, curious about her appearance, but true to what his mother said she was wearing a veil – the veil was black and it covered her face entirely, hiding her appearance from view. She held her pale hands together before her, the black dress swaying gently as she followed her older brother into the parlour. "I hope you did not wait for long," Mikuo began, catching Len's eye, "she is very shy about leaving her room. It took a while to make her come out."

The girl shifted towards her brother, hiding against his side. He still could not see her face and he wondered if he would manage to get a glimpse of what lay beneath that veil before he left their home. "It's a pleasure to meet you," he said politely, rising from the settee and taking hold of her hand – her skin was soft and smooth, and he lifted her hand to his lips to kiss it gently before letting go. The girl curtseyed in response but did not speak, and went to sit on an armchair near the settee.

Len returned to his seat as well, and Mikuo cleared his throat. "I have some papers to arrange, so I shall take my leave for now," he spoke to his mother. The Duchess nodded and Mikuo left again, leaving the three of them behind. The Duchess glanced at him, then looked at her daughter questioningly – the girl he assumed was Hatsune Miku continued to sit there primly, her hands placed on her lap. Her veil was extremely distracting. Len wanted her to lift her veil so that he could see, once and for all, if the rumours were true – if she really was as disfigured as he was warned.

"I suppose now would be the time where I leave you two to talk, and perhaps get to know each other better," the Duchess finally said when the silence continued to stretch on. "It is understandable that youngsters like you would not want to speak in front of an old woman like me," she laughed, rising from the settee. "I shall continue to read in the bedroom. Have a pleasant chat – Miku, call for a servant when you two are done talking, it would be impolite to let the Earl leave without an escort," she added. Then the woman swept out of the room, leaving him alone with Hatsune Miku.

With that infernal veil in place, he could not see where she was looking. "I suppose I ought to introduce myself," he finally spoke, trying to defuse the tension in the room. "My name is Kagamine Len, the Earl of Langdon. My father is the Marquis Beliar…and ah, our families would like for us to become acquainted with each other," he finally concluded, cringing at how forced and awkward his introduction was. But it was the first time he ever met her, and it wasn't even his choice to do so. He glanced at the girl, dressed in all black as though she was mourning. What a strange choice of attire.

"I know," he heard her voice for the first time, coming from behind the veil. It rustled as she shifted slightly, the motion causing the material to ripple across her face. He blinked at the sound of her voice – it was sweet and girlish, making her seem much younger than her supposed eighteen years of age. "Mama said that we may get married," she paused, and he waited with bated breath to hear what else she had to say – he could sense that she wasn't done talking. "I don't know why you would want to marry me since we don't even know each other. We've never met before. But Mama says that you're a nice man and that you would treat me kindly, so…" her voice trailed off, and silence fell between them again. Len tilted his head. She seemed honest and straightforward, unlike the shyness she displayed when she first entered the room. Perhaps his first impression of her was wrong.

"I would like to think that I am nice," he answered, smiling a little. The girl did not respond to that, and he continued. "My mother wants me to get married. She gave me three choices, three different households, and I decided on yours since the other two…one is too young, and my friend is fond of the other," he didn't know why he was telling her all this, but it seemed only right to let her know why he chose her family. He didn't want her to think that he chose her because of her family's wealth – he would hate to be seen as superficial. "It doesn't imply that you were a last resort, of course," he added hastily, "but if I did not choose someone my mother would nag at me to get married, so…"

Her gentle laughter filled the room. "I understand. Honestly, I do not really wish to get married either," her voice was tremulous. "I am weak and I sicken easily. Whoever takes me to be their wife will have to face the burden of caring for me. I am enough trouble for my family – I'd hate for my husband to face the same plight," suddenly, it felt like she was looking straight at him. He didn't know how he could tell since her veil was still covering her face, but for some reason it felt like she was staring right at him, straight through him. "If I do marry, it'd have to be for love. I do not wish for my fiancé to marry me simply because of money, and ignore me once he has access to my inheritance. So I do hope that you are not like that," she added, turning her face away from him.

"No, of course not," he immediately blurted out. Her money had been the last thing on his mind. She laughed again, but thankfully she sounded like she believed him. "But may I ask you a question?" he waited until she nodded before he opened his mouth again. "Why do you wear a veil indoors?"

The girl paused for a moment, as though thinking over his words. "To conceal my face, of course," he could hear the smile in her words. He didn't know how to push for a more in-depth answer, but luckily she continued of her own accord. "Remember that I hope to find a husband through love and trust rather than convenience? I thought that…hiding my face, so that all you know of me will be my words and actions rather than my appearance, might help with that. Besides, since I rarely leave the house I am unused to letting others see my face, so…this makes me feel more comfortable around new people," she clasped her small hands together, looking down at her lap.

He nodded slowly. "I see," he murmured, though he still couldn't help but wonder about her appearance. He supposed there was no tactful way for him to ask about her face. But if they really did end up getting along, then her appearance should no longer be a concern anyway. Her logic made sense. "All right, then we can continue to talk this way," he smiled. "May I ask if you have any interest in opera? A famed opera singer will be performing a week from now, and I have two box seat tickets for the show. I intended to give them to my friend since my sister, who was supposed to go with me, suddenly had another appointment instead – but if you are interested, perhaps you would like to go with me?" he asked. She faced him, but he couldn't guess what she was thinking.

"All right," after a moment, she agreed. "I quite like watching performances – plays, balls, musicals. Not that I have many chances to attend, due to my weak constitution," her tinkling laughter filled the room again, and he shivered. He wasn't sure why, but there was something about her voice which felt almost tangible, like it could touch him. "Are you sure you wish to invite me, though?" suddenly she sounded almost anxious. "If it's too much trouble for you, it's not necessary…"

"No, why would it be any trouble?" he asked, frowning. She fell silent. "If it's just because of your constitution, you don't have to fret. I understand that you are more fragile than most so I'll be sure to look after you. You have my word on that," he promised. She nodded, her hands still clasped tightly together on her lap. "What are your other interests? We may have many other things in common too," he asked, hoping that his smile would reassure her. So they began to talk.

* * *

This was the tenth time he was meeting his potential fiancée. He had been counting. The two of them were getting more and more comfortable with each other, and Len found himself looking forward to their meetings with each other. His mother seemed to be very pleased about that.

Of course, Lily asked him whether he had actually seen Miku's face yet, and he always said no. She had yet to reveal her face to him, and he sometimes wondered if she ever would. The very mention of the veil she wore seemed to unsettle her. It just made him all the more certain that the veil was hiding something – perhaps the scars of disease? But at this point, it didn't really matter to Len what her face looked like. He doubted that illness would result in any terrible effects upon one's appearance, and besides, her insightful mind and the things she had to say were far more entertaining than her supposedly disfigured face. Sometimes, the rumours slipped his mind entirely and he just found himself laughing as she told him amusing stories her brother shared with her about other nobles.

She was a delight to talk to. Her mind was sharp and keen, clearly compensating for her physical weakness, and he found that despite her soft-spoken manner she was actually rather stubborn – and quite endearingly so at that. Despite her constitution, she would always insist on taking a walk with him whenever he visited so that she could see the snow outside, and he would only rush her back into her house when she began to cough, the chill clearly affecting her. Her hands were soft and smooth, but her grip on his arm whenever they went outside together was firm and steady. He found himself enchanted by what she had to say, by her comments and her rather odd thoughts.

For example, the one time they went to the park together after he told her that he enjoyed looking at the central park, all covered in snow and frost. She wanted to go and see the scenery for herself, so reluctantly he brought her there and watched as she laughed and danced around on the snow-covered lawn, her light feet leaving just the faintest of footprints on the white blanket. That day she wore light green, the colour of a lush meadow, and he thought that she seemed like a little fairy, dancing to call forth spring. Afterwards, when he forced her to go back to the safety of her home, she said that the snow-covered park was like a paradise in its own right, that its beauty was simply unappreciated by those who loathed the cold. She spoke of the crystal beauty of snowflakes and the purity of winter, how it cleansed the earth of its wounds and revived spring, allowing it to blossom.

He had never met another girl who spoke to him this way, who told him of fantasies and dreams and folktales come to life. He once asked her where she heard all her stories, and she told him that because of how often she stayed at home, she had read many books and she thought about all sorts of things to pass the time. Whenever he met her, she always had something new to say, something he never would have imagined on his own. He could never quite predict what would happen the next time he met her, except for one thing – she would always be wearing a thick veil.

One day, he visited with his twin sister. Kagamine Rin was married to the Earl of Winston, Utatane Piko – she had married young and that was the main reason why his mother kept pushing him to find a wife. But his sister was remarkably headstrong and insisted on being allowed to spend time with her family, so her husband conceded – on Saturdays, she was free to visit her family if she wished to do so.

That Saturday, Rin came with him to meet his potential fiancée. He had already confessed that he was rather interested in Hatsune Miku, and that he wouldn't mind marrying her. She was such a fascinating girl that he didn't think he would ever be bored with her, and they got along rather well – so he felt that he need not fear his marriage breaking apart, the way his aunt's did. Rin asked about the rumour of course, if Hatsune Miku was really as terribly disfigured as what others said – but Len admitted that he did not know. Even indoors, she still wore the veil she did whenever she went outside. Rin then declared that she wanted to visit Miku for herself and judge if she was a good match for Len, and Len could not argue with his temperamental sister, so in the end he agreed.

Of course Miku was surprised upon Rin's arrival, but after they introduced themselves to each other and she politely explained to Rin why she kept her veil on at all times, they actually seemed to rather like each other. It got to the point where the two women went off into another room, leaving him alone in the parlour, and when Rin returned to where he was waiting, there was an expression of shock on her face – which concerned him, because his sister was rarely shocked by anything. They talked the whole afternoon, and finally when he and Rin left the Hatsune mansion, he asked her what happened while she and Miku were together. But Rin just laughed and said it was of no importance.

She did, however, urge him to propose, so he thought that if his sister approved, it had to be a good sign. "Oh, she is lovely, an absolute delight. I understand why you are enamoured of her," Rin placed a hand over her mouth and giggled. "But that veil which hides her face so?" she suddenly added, and Len perked up, interested as always by the mention of the veil. "Do not let what that veil covers distract you from who she is," Rin told him, her blue eyes serious. He just nodded, uncertain about what that meant, but he assumed that since Rin was saying this to him, she must have seen Miku's face when they went into the other room. This warning his sister gave him…what did it mean?

* * *

Eventually he proposed. Both families had been expecting this to happen soon, and Miku said yes without hesitation. So began the preparations for the wedding. As it got closer and closer to the date however, Miku began asking him strange questions pertaining to physical appearance and his ideal woman.

He found it all very odd. She would ask things like…like what if she was actually not very attractive, would he still want her? She would ask if he thought certain women were beautiful, like the queen or other aristocrats. Suddenly she seemed so insecure, almost afraid, and he had to reassure her that no matter what, he would choose her. He had not fallen in love with her appearance, after all. The veil she wore meant that he couldn't even see her face, but her questions made him wonder.

Perhaps she was frightened that after they married, he would see the scars her illness left, and he would be so repulsed that he ended up leaving her. But of course he wouldn't do that. Len felt that he wasn't a very superficial person – what good was a beautiful face if the mind behind it was astonishingly vapid? No matter how many times she asked the same few questions, he answered patiently and honestly, and eventually she stopped asking those questions altogether. He hoped that it was a sign that she had confidence in herself and his intentions now. It worried him a little.

They were walking together in the park again, their fingers laced together for warmth. The air was getting warmer, but he was still concerned about her health so he wouldn't let her stay outside for too long. Her older brother, Mikuo, joked that Len was more of a mother to Miku than their own mother was, and he just acknowledged that with a grin. Miku did complain sometimes that he smothered her with attention, but he didn't want her to get sick, especially not right before their wedding. She could go out all she wanted after that, he wouldn't stop her – though he might if it was during winter…

"Len?" she felt comfortable enough to address him by name rather than title now. He turned to her at the sound of her voice, wondering what she wanted. Her black veil swayed in the gentle wind, and he actually found himself hoping that the wind would blow her veil back to expose her face – but he quickly took that thought back. She would let him see her face when she felt the time was right. "I've been wondering lately…you know that I'm weak," she looked down as she spoke, coming to a stop. He paused beside her as well, waiting for her to continue. "What if I pass on before you?" her voice shook. "I thought in the past that I wouldn't mind dying young – I'd no longer be a burden if that was the case. But I don't want that to happen anymore. I want to stay with you!"

Her sudden vehemence startled him. It was so unlike her usual soft-spoken self. He struggled to come up with something to say. "Even if you do, Miku, at least you made a difference to people's lives," he finally said lamely, aware that he was terrible at comforting others but trying his best nevertheless. "I think that's the most important thing – that when we die, we know that we've touched the life of someone else. And you've certainly changed my life," he smiled before raising their intertwined hands and pressing a light kiss against her skin. He felt her fingers tighten a little around his.

"Thank you," she whispered, "I needed to hear that." She continued on her way through the park and he followed, gaze fixed on her slender figure. Who knew what sort of thoughts went through her head every day? Her observations and ideas kept him entertained whenever he spent time with her, but at the same time those thoughts often turned upon themselves, dark and full of pain. He could not reach into her mind and get rid of those thoughts for her, but the least he could do was to be there for her, even though he could never see the expressions on her face and only knew the touch of her hand, the sound of her voice. It was her mind which endeared her to him, so he would be there to save her from her own thoughts. He loved her, after all. He wanted to protect her.

* * *

The ceremony was over quickly. She switched her black veil for a white one, but even then he still could not see her face. He promised her that he would not lift her veil during the ceremony, so they did not kiss after their vows. But in exchange, she promised she would let him see her face at night.

Honestly, he didn't know what to expect. Whenever he saw her veil, he thought of the rumours, and he felt a morbid sort of curiosity about her appearance. Of course he told himself that he wouldn't mind even if she turned out to be downright hideous – they were married after all, and it was not her looks he had fallen for. He had, with Miku, what he told his mother he wanted from a marriage – a mutual sense of attraction. But he also knew that seeing her face would mark a change in their relationship, no matter how small that change was. So he was both anticipating and dreading nightfall, knowing that when they could finally spend some time together, it would be without the veil.

It didn't really feel like they were married. He knew that until she actually revealed her face to him the ceremony wouldn't be…well, real. After all, they had spent a great deal of time together and now really felt no different from the way they usually were. The marriage ceremony, the spoken vows – none of them had felt particularly special, especially since he hadn't been able to lift her veil and kiss her. _Nothing_ had changed yet, so he was finding it difficult to believe they were married now. But he knew that this would change tonight. They were husband and wife now – a strange thought.

She came to live with him in their summer cottage, as she had been reluctant to expose her face even around the rest of his family, so his mother graciously allowed them to move out of the mansion. The cottage was small and cosy, and Len preferred it to their large townhouse anyway. Here, it was secluded and private, with a nice garden and no irritating neighbours trying to peer into their front yard. Miku said she liked the smaller cottage too, explaining that it was quite homely and she thought that an entire mansion was too big for just two people, anyway.

Miku had one servant girl who was extremely loyal to her mistress, and she came with them to the summer cottage, though she stayed in the servants' quarters in the back garden. Len looked out of the carriage as the horses trotted on, bringing them to their new home. It was hidden some distance outside town, and the further they went the fewer dwellings and people they saw. Both of them were still dressed in their wedding outfits, and Len felt a little self-conscious since the suit he wore was clearly out-of-place in the countryside. But no one could see him inside the carriage anyway.

Miku was also looking out of the window. She was fiddling with the elegant diamond ring on her ring finger, the platinum band which proclaimed to everyone that she was married now. "Are you nervous?" he asked, reaching out to grasp her hand – she turned to look at him and shook her head, but said nothing after that. They rode on in silence, but it was a comfortable sort of silence. He didn't experience the need to fill it up with chatter, and sometime during their peaceful journey he fell asleep.

He woke up to a gentle shaking. "Len, wake up," Miku was saying, her pleasant voice calling him out from a very odd dream. He couldn't recall exactly what the dream was about, but it involved an old hag covered in warts, threatening to cut off his hair and use it in some foul concoction. He looked around, resisting the urge to yawn, and saw that they had arrived at the summer cottage. Getting out of the carriage, he went to help the coachman bring their few belongings into the house – he and Miku had not packed much since the cottage had most living essentials, and for now they just had to bring some clothes. He would go back for his work and papers another day, when he was free.

When they were properly settled in, the coachman left and Miku's servant went off to make herself comfortable in the servants' quarters. Len showed Miku where everything was, and when the short tour was done she took his hand and pulled him towards the bedroom, all the way to the bed, and made him sit there. He waited with trepidation – he was certain that this was the moment he had been waiting for, all these months he courted her and talked to her and gotten to know the girl he now called his wife. He would finally have a face to match to her voice, rather than just a veil.

Suddenly he began to panic. What should he expect? But he was here now, and he was willing to accept everything he saw. He loved her, after all – not her appearance. Miku went to lock the door and shut the curtains, throwing the small bedroom into dark shadow. He could barely see her face, the white veil glimmering faintly in the dim light. "Close your eyes," she approached him, her voice so soft that it was barely more than a whisper. He obeyed, closing his eyes and waiting for something to happen.

He felt soft, gentle fingers touch his face. He recognised her fingers, slim and delicate. "I didn't think that I would find anyone willing to stay, even when I refused to take my veil off," she began, her voice still extremely quiet. "You are not the first man to court my hand. I have not said this before, but you are perhaps the fourth…or the fifth? I cannot remember. And men, they always seemed to desire my connections, and the wealth my family has. Or they see my mother and expect that her daughter is a great beauty as well. But that was not what I wanted," her voice was filled with sadness, and he found himself reaching out for her – she took his hand, lacing their fingers together.

"What happened to the other suitors?" he breathed, curious. His eyes were still closed, so he could not see where she was or what she was doing, but he could feel her warmth and he knew that she was close by. Her other hand traced his lips, running over his mouth, and he parted his lips in a sigh.

"When I refused to lift my veil, they declared that they were no longer interested. They assumed that the rumours about me must be true," she answered, sadness still in her voice. It made his heart ache. He didn't want her to feel that way. "I know what others say about me. That in my youth I was horribly disfigured by an illness, that left pockmarks and scars on my face. How would you react if you knew that there might be some truth to that rumour?" she asked, now sounding nervous rather than sad.

"It would not change my feelings," he told her truthfully. "I might be surprised at first, and it might take a while for me to get used to your appearance, but I did not fall in love with your face. Your words, your thoughts – they are what captivated me and led me to love you. I have never met another girl so bright, so… _unique_. Your observations about the world around us bring me joy," his fingers found the smooth edge of her veil, and he ran his fingers down the gauzy material, wondering what she was thinking. "I'd love to see your face, in fact. I know that if I could see your expressions, I might be able to understand your thoughts better…I want to know what your happiness looks like," his voice rang with sincerity. He heard her gasp, and suddenly the veil disappeared. She must have backed away.

"Very well, if you're sure you want that," she whispered. She let go of his other hand, and he waited, wondering how long he had to stay here with his eyes closed. Then suddenly he felt warm breath on his face and smelled the sweet scent of rosewater. At the same time, he felt something soft press lightly against his lips and his eyes flew open in shock – he stared, and the girl lifted her head, giving him a nervous smile. He first noticed her full pink lips – she had kissed him – and then his gaze went to the rest of her face and he swallowed, incredibly shocked. Miku's face…she finally no longer wore that veil.

He had been ready for the truth. He thought he was able to face anything, telling himself over and over again that he loved her for _her_ , not for her physical appearance – but all that had not prepared him for _this_. Because Hatsune Miku was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Her fair skin was clear and unblemished, her green eyes sparkled with youth and vitality, and her cheeks were flushed a soft, rosy pink. He raised a hand, his fingers trembling, and tilted her chin – she let him move her head and he looked at her from every angle, still unable to believe what he was seeing.

She looked like a fairy, like something more than a mere mortal girl. "I thought your childhood illness scarred you?" he whispered, meeting her green eyes. She shook her head, lowering her gaze. Her teal hair – which he had only ever seen once before, since she normally wore it in a bun underneath her veil – fell in loose waves down her back, and he ran his fingers through her hair, unable to help himself. It felt like a silk waterfall. "But…" his voice trailed off. "The way you said it, I thought…" he exhaled.

"I know," her green eyes gleamed with good humour. She had incredibly long eyelashes, dark and thick, and they made the green of her eyes really pop out against her fair skin. She was stunning. "But I just wanted to see whether you were really willing to accept me, whether you were in love with an idealised version of me or _me_ , the girl who may be so horribly disfigured that she has to wear a veil to conceal her face. I am glad that it was the latter," she whispered, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek – but before she could, he turned his head and met her lips, closing his eyes.

She made a sound of surprise when he slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her towards him, falling back so that she was lying over him on the bed. But he didn't release her from their kiss and it was only when she started to struggle slightly, gasping for air, that he let her go. "I'm glad it was the latter too," he answered her, holding her gaze. Her cheeks were pink. "And I'm glad you put me through that test. If I had seen you before I spoke to you…" he hesitated. "I'm happy to know that it's love and not infatuation," he finally admitted, winding some of her hair around his fingers.

Her quiet laughter filled the room. He loved it when she laughed. "Well, your sister told me that you are a good man, so that's not surprising," she leant against his chest, probably able to hear his heart pounding. "I'm yours now, and you're mine," she whispered. "Even if I pass away before you, you won't ever stop loving me and keeping me in your memory, right?" he was reminded of the question she asked him that time in the park, about what would happen should she pass on before him.

"Always," he kissed her forehead, holding her in his arms. For that moment he felt safe and happy, and he held his new wife until she fell asleep, soothed by the constant steady beat of his heart.

* * *

 **A/N** **:** _Although this drabble series is for Miku shipping, I admit that it's probably going to be mostly LenKu since it's my OTP. As for this drabble, I feel like it might do better as a two or three-shot, but I don't want to write that much so I won't bother. My initial plan was to make Miku cursed rather than just let her wear a veil so that everyone who sees her thinks that she's ugly, but that required way too much world-building._

 _The title is actually quite significant here because 'revel' (to revel in knowledge) is pretty similar to 'reveal' (revealing her appearance) and 're-veil' (to put the veil back on). Though the last one doesn't happen because Miku doesn't put her veil back on afterwards, I still thought it was pretty cool that the title has so many implications._


	4. pacify

pacify

She leant against the table, half-listening to Rin as she told her excitedly about all the trouble her kid brother got into over the past weekend, but as she nodded and laughed at all the appropriate places, she kept her gaze fixed on the dark boy at the other side of the classroom.

"And after that Len fell into the neighbour's pool and got chased by their dog," Rin cackled. "Man, I love the kid. He's like me when I was six, but worse," Rin suddenly paused and squinted at her. "Hey, Miku, are you listening to me?" she raised an eyebrow. Miku jumped at the sound of her name, whipping around to meet Rin's gaze – the blonde was staring at her curiously, awaiting a response.

"Um, Len's awfully cute," she offered, giggling. Len was her best friend's little brother, a crazed whirlwind of energy who couldn't stay still for longer than ten seconds. He was Rin's youngest sibling – she had two siblings between her and Len, Lenka who was ten and Rinto, who was fifteen. Rin was the oldest at eighteen. The Kagamine family was pretty well-off, so they lived in a big bungalow and as a result often lost the youngest child. There was one terrifying time where Len got onto the roof.

"Yeah, I can tell you're not listening," Rin concluded. "Where are you – ah…" she raised her gaze and saw who Miku had been looking at just a short while ago. Her eyes narrowed. "You know he already has a girlfriend, right?" she checked. "I mean, I don't approve of Rei's choice, but it would be pretty _bad_ to come between them…" she glanced up at Miku. Miku was gnawing on her lip, staring at the dark boy as well. Kagene Rei appeared to be taking a nap. "Miku, could you stop zoning out?"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Miku sighed, giving her blonde friend her full attention. Rin was still looking at her with narrowed eyes. "I know he has a girlfriend, you don't need to rub that in," she muttered. "But seriously, Teto is a terrible match for him!" she lowered her voice. "She's whiny, vapid, she's obsessed with shopping and gossip, she has to be the most superficial girl I've ever seen…why the heck is Rei even with her? I _know_ for a fact that he's not enjoying the relationship," she stated.

Rin gave her a long look. "Well, whether or not he's satisfied in his relationship isn't something we can decide. Only he knows the answer to that," she pointed out. Then her tone softened a little. "If it makes you feel any better though, I agree with that. He didn't look too well when he came over to visit my parents over the weekend," she mused. "Though that might be because he had to retrieve Len from the neighbour's backyard. Honestly, it would drain anyone to deal with that little brat."

Kagene Rei was Kagamine Rin's cousin and their classmate. Miku had been crushing on him ever since freshman year, when the dark boy first approached her and his cousin and asked if he could sit with them during lunch. It wasn't because he had no friends of his own, but rather because he knew that Rin, who really valued family and friendship, would no doubt enjoy the company of her cousin during her first week of school. Kagene Rei was surprisingly popular among their cohort – surprising because he was relatively reserved and quiet, but Miku guessed that his good looks didn't hurt.

As she thought about that, some of Rei's friends walked into the classroom and proceeded to smack Rei on the back of his head, shocking the sleeping boy awake. Rei instantly started cussing them out, his voice still a sleepy slur, and the guys all laughed it off good-naturedly before they started talking about…whatever guys talked about. "I don't think he and Teto will stay together for very long," Miku spoke, tilting her head. Rin watched her carefully. "So once something happens, that's my chance."

"Miku…" Rin sighed and shook her head, but didn't say anything else. Miku continued watching Rei and the other guys laughing, and suddenly the dark boy glanced in their direction. His gaze met hers and she didn't look away – Rei stared at her, and as they watched each other a small smile curved his lips. Right after that he turned back to face the guys, and Miku was left wondering who he had been smiling at. Was he really looking at her, or did he just happen to notice Rin beside her?

* * *

"Turn, turn!" the cameraman ordered. Miku groaned but did as instructed. Someone else came over and started pouring more petals all over her, and some tickled her nose, making her want to sneeze. She was so sick of lying here and having petals all over her body. But she needed the money.

"You're such a princess, Hatsune," the cameraman, Hiyama Kiyoteru, had evidently heard her groan. "We're not paying you to lie around and do nothing, you know," he scolded, raising the camera and taking a few more photos. Miku rolled her eyes but didn't bother to reply, keeping herself still and staring vacantly into the lens. The bright light flashed, more assistants threw flower petals all over her, and then thankfully the shoot was done and she could get out of this ridiculous set.

Miku did part-time modelling to supplement her pocket money. Her family wasn't particularly well-off so she was always on the lookout for jobs with flexible hours. One day she got scouted on the street by a modelling agency and now, here she was. She wasn't the kind of model who did runway modelling, being too short to do that, but she was a popular choice for catalogues and television commercials, and right now the shoot she was modelling for was for some new perfume brand. Miku honestly didn't care who were the people who hired her, as long as she was paid well for her work.

"Yeah, Hatsune," another voice, female this time, simpered from the side. Miku turned towards the person and groaned again as she locked gazes with one of the few girls in the world she absolutely couldn't stand. Kasane Teto, another part-time model just like her and coincidentally managed by the same modelling agency, stood there with a hand placed on her hip as though she was trying to show off her immense sexuality. Yeah, right. Teto had all the sexuality of an ironing board.

"Teto," Miku greeted her flatly. "What are you doing here?" she was helped up from the petal-strewn floor by one of the assistants, brushing off the remaining flowers as she rose to her feet. Teto rolled her eyes and spun some of her bright magenta hair around her finger, looking exactly like what she was – a conceited, stuck-up idiot. Miku honestly wondered why she seemed to keep bumping into Kasane Teto. This girl got on her nerves in a way no one else could, not even Rin's little brother on his most annoying day. Her dislike of Teto wasn't even anything to do with who her boyfriend was.

"A shoot, of course," the redhead yawned. "A bigger client than yours, mind you. Seriously, perfume? Could you get anymore skanky?" she looked Miku up and down. Miku felt mildly offended by what Teto said, though it was true – she was dressed in little more than a gauzy sheet, wrapped haphazardly around her to conceal only the most important parts. Miku had done all kinds of catalogue modelling before, including lingerie, but for some reason when Teto pointed out her attire, she felt a little bit embarrassed.

"At least I get paid without having to whore myself out to strangers," she retorted, giving Teto a playful wink to take the edge off her words – though of course she meant everything she said. Teto gave her a careful look but didn't say anything more. They both knew she was referring to Teto's various questionable magazine covers – the only thing Miku would not do was features for publications that were obviously geared towards a male audience, Playboy being one example. Teto threw herself at those covers with great relish, and Miku figured it wouldn't be long before she went even further.

Miku was escorted off the set back to the changing room, and when she was safely inside she quickly changed back into her normal clothes, shaking her hair out of her elaborate bun and quickly taking the makeup off her face. She hated makeup. When her face felt bare and clean again, she looked at the mirror and studied her reflection, dark circles and all. She didn't think her skin was bad at all – honestly, the only thing that had to be concealed was her dark eye circles. Besides that, her skin was smooth and flawless. In fact, the makeup would probably just make her skin worse.

She grabbed her bag and walked out of the changing room, hurrying down the corridor to leave the building. She hated to stay here for any longer than what was absolutely necessary, especially with the knowledge that Kasane Teto was in the same area. There was no telling when she might bump into the redheaded monster again. At least today it was an indoor photoshoot and not outdoors – it was pretty cold today, and if she had to wear so little outside…no, she didn't even want to think about it. She'd have to do it anyway since she was bound by a contract and she needed the cash, but still.

"Hey, Miku!" she heard a voice call out, smooth like velvet – the kind of voice one might hear on late-night radio, soothing and sensuous. She froze and turned around. A familiar boy was coming over towards her, his dark fringe flopping over his face, golden eyes fixed right upon her. As he walked over he reached up to brush his hair away from his eyes, and his lips tilted up into a smile. Kagene Rei stood in front of her, and for a moment she didn't know how to react. "You had a shoot today?" he asked, speaking first. She nodded wordlessly, glancing at him then at the building that stood behind them.

Rei must be waiting for Teto, then. He raised an eyebrow. "If I had known you were working today, I would have come earlier," he held her gaze and, for a quick second, she forgot how to breathe. Was he flirting with her, or was he just being nice? Then Rei smiled. "It's really interesting, watching how models get ready for a shoot then go through with it. It's a lot of hard work, isn't it?" he asked. "Teto complains about it all the time, but I don't really catch her complaining when she sees herself on magazine covers," she wasn't sure if she was imagining things, but was that bitterness in his voice?

"Yeah, it's pretty tough," she agreed. "Sometimes they force you to contort yourself into all kinds of impossible positions and then expect you to hold yourself still for a minute while your muscles scream in agony," she grinned, "but oh well. I guess it's also a pretty glamorous job, if you're the kind of person who's interested in that. I'm not," she shifted her bag further up her shoulder, watching him carefully for his reaction. Rei was looking away from her, up at the towering building. She had to wonder what he was thinking about. "I only signed on with them because I needed the cash, but school is still way more important for now," she shrugged. "I don't want to model forever."

Rei's smile widened. "Teto wants to be a supermodel in the future. She isn't even studying anymore. I think she's just going to drop out of school one of these days," he sighed heavily, then looked back down, meeting her gaze. "Want to go get some coffee? It's freezing out here, and it'll be a long time before Teto comes out," he offered. Miku hesitated. Should she agree? What Rin said about it being wrong to steal someone's boyfriend came back to mind, but…well, it wasn't like this was a date, right?

"Sure," she finally gave her answer. Rei beamed and started talking about a cool new coffee shop he stumbled across the other day, and she listened absentmindedly, nodding whenever it seemed appropriate. The whole time they were chatting over their coffee, he didn't once bring up Teto.

* * *

"You're spending _way_ too much time with my cousin nowadays," Rin squinted at Miku, who was lying on her bed, taking selfies with Rin's phone. "Hey, stop that! My phone has like a million of your photos already!" the blonde exclaimed, jumping on Miku and trying to snatch the phone away.

"No, no! Come here! Smile!" Miku made a face, trying to angle the phone so that it would capture both their faces. Rin obliged and the two of them spent the next five minutes taking photos of each other. Miku hoped that this would make Rin lose her train of thought, but unfortunately the blonde grew tired of taking selfies and put her phone away, facing Miku. Miku groaned and sat up on the bed.

"Don't just sigh and tell me – what's up with you and my cousin?" Rin asked, blue eyes narrowing in concern. "I won't judge," she added quickly, "I just want to know what's the deal with you two. Rei's been going around with this weird smile on his face lately, and my mum actually asked him if he and Teto stopped arguing with each other…he said yes, but I don't think that's the truth. So tell me about it!"

"You won't scold me or anything?" Miku checked. Rin nodded, trepidation in her eyes, and Miku looked up at the ceiling, avoiding her best friend's gaze. "Well…Rei and I are talking, that's all," she admitted. "We're not like, _dating_ or anything since he's attached, but we talk a lot. He's funny and he has all these life ambitions and goals. He's really driven," she stressed. Rin remained quiet, still listening, and Miku continued. "Talking to him is super fun and interesting. I really don't know why someone as eligible as Rei is with someone like _Kasane Teto_ ," Miku rolled her eyes as she said the name.

"Huh," Rin muttered. She leant back against the wall, pursing her lips. "And why did Rei suddenly start talking to you? Care to explain that?" she asked. Miku frowned. She wasn't quite sure which point she ought to start with. Come to think of it, she and Rei had a pretty complicated relationship.

"Um, he first started talking to me like, two months ago? I came out of the studio after a photoshoot and he was there, waiting for his girlfriend. So we went to a café to pass the time while he waited for her to finish…" she turned her head to look at Rin. "But apparently even before that he's always been kind of interested in me," she continued, her voice hushed. "He said that during sophomore year he started seeing my catalogues for Daycie's and other brands, and he remembered that I was from his school so he just started noticing me around, and then eventually…he became infatuated," she giggled. Rin looked mildly concerned at this, but Miku barrelled on before she could interject. "I mean he's obviously not _just_ infatuated now," she added knowingly, giving her best friend a wink.

"Miku…but he's still with Teto, you know. Nothing can come out of you two flirting with each other now," Rin stressed, reaching out to play with her hair. Rin loved Miku's long teal hair since her own was ridiculously short – she didn't want long hair because it was a hassle to look after, especially since Rin was involved in a lot of competitive sports, but she liked how it looked on other people.

"I know," Miku lay back down on the pillow, looking back at the ceiling once more. Rin lay down with her, and the calming sounds of her breathing made the situation seem less surreal. It was still hard to believe that she was now…well, would she consider herself more than friends with Rei? The two of them had never done anything beyond simply talking, and if they ever hung out together he insisted on paying for her meal – that was about it. There was no physical contact, nothing more than burning, lingering stares – but at the same time, she was absolutely certain that he wasn't just a _friend_. "But I know he's not happy with Teto, Rin," she added, narrowing her eyes. "He admitted it himself. He wouldn't tell me why they're still together, apparently it's some big secret, but I know he's unhappy."

Rin remained quiet for a while. "Maybe I can ask him for you…I'm his favourite cousin," her lips tilted crookedly upwards, "so there's a chance he might tell me. No promises though," Rin added when Miku turned to give her a look of excitement. "And Miku, I still don't think it's right to be making the moves on him when he has a girlfriend, but even me nagging at you now won't dissuade you, I suppose," she sighed, shaking her head. There was a look of concern on her face, but Miku hugged her anyway.

Just then, there was a loud banging on the door, and before Rin or Miku could call out anything, the door swung open and a blond whirlwind jumped onto Rin's bed with them, screaming and crying. Kagamine Len, Rin's youngest brother, was bawling about Lenka pushing him down the stairs, holding his arms out towards Miku and Rin as he searched for a hug. Miku pulled the little boy towards her, wrapping her arms around him – between the two girls, she had always been the more indulgent one, while Rin often took on a disciplinary role for her siblings. "Again?" Rin spluttered, outraged. "Don't worry, Lenny! Big sister Rin will take care of it for you!" she kissed him on the cheek and the boy's sniffling quietened slightly. "You stay here with big sister Miku until I'm back, okay?" she added as she got off the bed, presumably to find the second youngest Kagamine kid.

Len nodded, burying his face in Miku's shirt, getting the front of it all wet, but Miku didn't mind. The kid was adorable, and she couldn't just turn him away when he was in pain like that. "But Len, if it's because you stole one of Lenka's diaries again, I'm not helping you," Rin added right before she left the room. Her gaze darted up, meeting Miku's. "You should stay away from things that aren't yours," she warned, and for some reason it felt like Rin was directing those words at Miku rather than Len.

"I didn't!" Len whined. "She pushed me!" Rin gave her kid brother a droll look and turned, walking out of the door and closing it behind her. Len stared up at her, blue eyes teary. He was a beautiful boy – he'd grow up to be a real stunner someday. Though by the time he was eighteen, she would already be thirty. Suddenly, Miku felt a little old. "Miku, you believe me, right?" he sniffled.

"Of course," she answered vaguely, stroking his hair. He leant his head against her chest and she felt his breathing eventually slow down, becoming steady and even. She continued to stroke his blond hair. Little children sure could fall asleep quickly. Rin still wasn't back yet, and she thought about the blonde's subtle warning right before she left the room. _Stay away from things that aren't yours_ … "But was he yours if he wanted me so bad?" she asked softly. She was answered with silence.

* * *

"You need to stop spending so much time with _my_ boyfriend," she heard a familiar, unwelcome voice ring out behind her and Miku turned around to see Kasane Teto with her hands on her hips, glaring at her. Miku just leant against her locker and looked at her. The redhead seemed worried.

"Why, afraid that I'll steal him?" she asked archly. Teto narrowed her eyes. "Isn't he _your_ boyfriend, Teto? You should have more faith in him," she turned back to her locker, spinning the combination lock to open it. Unslinging her backpack, she kept most of her textbooks inside, slamming the locker shut and locking the door once more. The whole time Teto remained there, practically breathing down her neck. "Look, I don't know what you're so worried about. We're just friends," she said dismissively, annoyed with the redhead now. "I happen to be Rin's best friend – you know Rin, his _cousin_?"

"Whatever, Hatsune," Teto hissed. "Let's pretend that I totally didn't notice you making those weird googly eyes at him whenever he looks in your direction. Get it into your head that he's _mine_ and nothing you do will ever change that fact!" she exclaimed, a self-satisfied smirk on her face. Miku would quite like to wipe that smile off her face. "Nothing, by the way. Absolutely _nothing_ ," she added, as if she was afraid Miku didn't hear her the first time. Miku sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, sure, whatever you say," she glanced at her non-existent watch, tapping on her bare wrist. "Now, why don't you let poor little Miku go now? Unlike someone who intends to drop out from school to pursue her dead-end modelling career, some people actually have to get to class on time," she simpered. Teto looked like she wanted to slap her, but luckily for her she didn't – if she had, Miku was pretty good at fighting back and Teto would definitely have ended up on the losing end. The vapid airhead could barely lift a grocery bag without falling over and crying for help.

"Whatever, you _bitch_ ," Teto spat, turning on her heel and stalking off. Miku shook her head and let out a quiet laugh. It was really fun, getting the last word in. She turned her head to see if anyone had caught the exchange in the hallway – a door suddenly swung open and she saw a familiar pair of golden eyes, the boy smiling and laughing as he walked out with a group of his friends. Kagene Rei saw her and paused, meeting her gaze, before he said something to the others and started walking in her direction. The guys left without him, and then Rei was standing before her, looking serious.

"I hope that Teto isn't giving you any trouble?" he searched her gaze, expression filled with concern. "This morning she called me up and started _screeching_ at me over the phone like a complete madwoman," he shook his head. "I wish I could just break up with her," he muttered. Miku tilted her head. Honestly, she still didn't know why Rei was together with Kasane Teto. Rin had yet to ask him anything about his situation. Anyone else would have broken up with the little brat by now. Rei was _really_ patient.

"She cornered me a few seconds ago. You just missed her," she admitted. His head shot up, the concern on his face obvious, but she quickly reassured him. "She didn't do anything, just warned me to stay away from you," she shrugged. "I told her we're just friends," she gave him a quick smile. It wasn't a lie, technically. Rei relaxed slightly and nodded, looking relieved. "What _is_ Teto's problem, though?" she asked, curious now. "Don't tell me she's not even just a little bit unhinged. She's crazy!"

Rei shook his head despondently. "It's better if you didn't know," he muttered. "The girl really is batshit crazy, that's right. I seriously regret ever getting involved with her," he held her gaze. "Things would be different if we had started talking in freshmen year, huh?" he grinned, giving her a playful wink before he told her he had to rush off to another class, leaving her standing there outside her locker. She blinked after him, her heart racing in her chest. Kagene Rei was definitely flirting with her.

Were they really just friends, or was it something more? Whatever it was, she knew that with Teto in the way, there was no way their relationship could ever reach its full potential. Teto was such a _pain_.

* * *

"She's just getting on my nerves," Miku groaned as Rin sped through traffic, honking at every car unfortunate enough to block her way. The blonde was a speed freak, and Miku knew that one day they would either get a ticket or worse, into an accident – but Rin was not to be dissuaded.

"You should hear what _Rei_ has to say about her," Rin answered, her gaze focused firmly on the cars in front of her. The light was red, and the car was purring beneath them, just waiting to speed into action. Rin's fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel. "God, I just had to bring up her name and it unleashed a flood. I don't want to know how long he's been carrying around all that pent-up angst!" the light turned green, and Rin slammed her foot down. The car sped off, so quickly that Miku's head slammed back into the headrest. Rin was a truly reckless driver.

"Years, I bet. They got together in sophomore year. I remember," she snorted, looking out of the window. The scenery was almost blurring together. Luckily for Rin they were turning into the highway now, where she could drive as fast as she wanted. "Did he say why they're still together?" she asked, curious. It was really a great mystery. Rei was focused, determined and driven, while Teto barely seemed to know what she wanted out of life. Rei was funny and charming, Teto was a brat. And it wasn't like Rei wasn't well-off or popular or anything. So why were they even together?

Rin made a face. "He did," she answered carefully. "But honestly it's because of Teto. He made me promise not to tell anyone anything, but well, I can say that she's kind of blackmailing him. That's all," she turned, and Miku almost screamed when she slid across her seat. Luckily she was wearing her seatbelt. "I don't know how I feel about you and Rei, really. I mean on one hand, he and Teto have a toxic relationship, but you're _still_ going to be the third party, you know," she added pointedly.

"I don't mind," Miku studied her reflection in the rear view mirror. Bright green eyes looked back at her, sharp and determined. "I get Rei, and at the same time I get rid of an annoying pest. Why not?" she grinned. "Might as well crush all hopes of her ever becoming a supermodel while I'm at it."

* * *

"You don't love her, do you?" Miku asked, sitting cross-legged on her bed, her phone pressed against her ear. There was a dry cough, and then she heard his sensuous voice in her ear, chuckling.

"I don't know. Depends on how you define love," he answered. Miku flopped down onto her bed, looking at the ceiling. Phone calls with Rei were becoming more and more common nowadays. It was almost a daily thing by now. "If love is just staying around with the person and supporting them, I guess that means I do love her?" he mused. "But if you mean attraction…then no. I don't love her at all."

It was reassuring to hear him say that. "Are you attracted to me, then?" she whispered, her heart thudding in her chest. She wanted to hear his response. There was another laugh, this time slower and smoother. His voice was like melted chocolate. If he had been single no doubt half the school would be crowding around him. But Teto's presence basically chased all the other girls off. Well, except for her, because clearly Miku was stupid. But Teto's rage was something she was willing to risk. There was nothing Teto could do to her, after all. Teto may be a known model, but so was Miku, and there was nothing Teto could say to the media about her without Miku countering it right back.

"You already know the answer," Rei's murmur was husky. "But if you want to hear me say it again, then yes, I am. Far more than I am to Teto," his tone abruptly soured, and Miku stifled a laugh. "If only she wasn't there, watching my every move – oh. Pretend I didn't say that," he said quickly, sounding almost nervous. Miku raised an eyebrow. This, coupled with Rin's comment about Teto basically blackmailing her boyfriend, made her feel really suspicious. There was definitely something up with their situation. "Anyway, do you want to go out again tomorrow? There's someplace special I'd like to show you," he still sounded nervous. It was cute. Rei rarely ever sounded unsure of himself.

"Why don't you invite Teto too?" she suggested. "To let her know that we're really just friends. We don't want her having any misconceptions about our relationship now, do we?" she giggled. Rei seemed hesitant, saying no at first, but she continued pushing until he finally agreed, albeit reluctantly. So they arranged to meet in front of the central park gates tomorrow at ten in the morning. Miku put the phone down, her lips curving upwards. It would be an exciting day tomorrow. She couldn't wait.

* * *

She was so excited, in fact, that for once she didn't need an alarm clock to wake her up. Rin had sent her a long string of texts about her meeting today, and Miku just told her that she would be fine – she wouldn't have to worry about Teto at all. Grabbing some toast for breakfast, she left the house.

Teto was waiting in front of the gates, wrapped in a fur coat and a knitted scarf. Miku slowed as she approached the gates, looking distastefully at the coat – well, she hoped that wasn't made out of real fur. She hated to think of how many rabbits died making that thing. "Hatsune," Teto called out, her pink eyes narrowing. She had seen Miku. Miku brisk walked over, tucking her hands into her coat pockets. It was nearing winter, and the weather was getting pleasantly cool. "I don't know what you're up to, Hatsune," Teto began threateningly, "but if you try to come between me and Rei –"

"Blah, blah, blah," Miku cut in dismissively. The redhead stiffened. "Stop thinking that the universe revolves around you, Teto. Rei and I are _just_ friends. We even invited you along, didn't we? So that you would stop bitching all the time about how we're sneaking around behind your back," she tossed her teal hair behind her shoulders, watching out for the dark boy. Both she and Teto were earlier than expected, so Rei had not showed up yet. Teto fumed quietly, but didn't say anything more.

Rei popped up at the end of the street a short while later, hurrying over to her and Teto. "Hey, sorry," he exhaled when he reached them. "Were you waiting for long?" he smiled at them, but his gaze lingered noticeably on Miku. Miku smiled back, but Teto practically threw herself at her boyfriend, giving her another glare, and Miku rolled her eyes and sighed. Rei's smile dimmed a little, becoming something more like a grimace, but he didn't try to push his girlfriend away or anything. "There's a gazebo hidden deep in the central park. Most people have forgotten it even exists, and it does look kind of rundown, but it's really pretty. It's the place I mentioned yesterday," he held Miku's gaze again, golden eyes unreadable. "Let's go in?" he suggested. The two girls nodded, and they walked into the park, Miku strolling behind the two of them as Teto glued herself to Rei's side.

The walk through the park was peaceful save for Teto's incessant chatter. Miku tuned her out after a while – the only things she ever brought up were her popularity, celebrity gossip and her magazine covers. Poor Rei. He looked bored to death, but he continued nodding and pretending that he was listening to Teto's jabbering. Miku caught his eye when he glanced back to look at her, and he gave her a small smile, but Teto yanked on his arm and forced him to look back at her. Miku tilted her head. Well, she'd see to it that Rei would be freed from Teto in a while. It shouldn't take long.

They went off the beaten path in the park, into one of the woodsier areas. Rei led the way forward, Teto complaining about the fallen leaves and branches messing up her outfit, until finally they got to the gazebo Rei had mentioned. Teto squealed at the sight of it and ran up the steps, while Miku hung back for a while, regarding the structure – the gazebo was made of wood and some of it was rotting in places, but there was an eerie beauty in how empty it was, how it stood lonely out here in the middle of the woods, untouched and unseen by most. The ceiling was still largely intact. "I came across this place while playing fetch with my dog," Rei explained. "It ran all the way here and I found the gazebo. It's been a secret of mine ever since," he grinned. "I wanted to show it to you."

"To me?" Miku raised an eyebrow, and both of them looked at Teto, who was still in the gazebo, tapping critically on the wooden pillars. Some of the white paint was flaking off in patches, which seemed to greatly concern the redhead. The stairs leading up to the wooden platform had partially disintegrated too – it seemed like the gazebo might collapse at any moment, but it was still valiantly holding itself up for now. "Not to your girlfriend?" she added pointedly. Rei grimaced at that.

"Don't refer to her as that," he whispered, lowering his voice so that Teto wouldn't be able to hear him. "I'm just waiting for her to let go of me – it's bound to happen when we graduate and she finds someone better. At least I hope she does," Rei sighed heavily, watching as Teto drew her fur coat around herself, thankfully still distracted by the gazebo. "Honestly, Teto is a little…crazy, yeah. And the only reason why I'm still with her is because if we ever broke up she'd go insane and probably hurt herself, or maybe my friends, which I'm more afraid of," he gave her a sour smile.

"That's all?" she asked, genuinely startled. She hadn't expected to find out the reason why they were still together just like that, in this deserted area of the park. Rei blinked, as though surprised, and she giggled. "I thought it would be something more…" she stepped closer to him, holding his stare. "You don't have to worry about Teto," she promised, before grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him down to her. Their lips met, and she sighed – for a moment, everything was still. Then two things happened.

The first thing was that Rei wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back, his lips moving hungrily against hers. The second was that Teto let out an almost inhuman scream and dashed out from the gazebo, trying to pull Miku away from Rei. But Miku latched tightly on to him, ignoring the redhead until she really started hitting Miku. Rei was the one who let go first, anger on his face, but Miku stepped in front of him and shoved the redhead away from her, her green eyes narrowing. Teto panted, her eyes wild, but Miku wasn't afraid. She met the redhead's gaze and smiled sweetly.

"Teto, Rei doesn't love you. He loves me. You lost, so stop deluding yourself otherwise," she looped her hair behind her ear, tilting her head to one side. Then her smile became almost cruel. "And if you try to harass him again," she raised the handgun she had concealed in her coat, stolen from her father last night, and placed one finger on the trigger, "then I'm afraid I'll just have to kill you."

* * *

 **A/N** : _The title kind of gives it away, but bonus points if you can guess the inspiration song for this story. Also, this might have done better as a two or three-shot, but again I didn't want to write that much. I guess some of these stories I might eventually convert into multi-chapter stories, but for now they'll stay as one-shots so I don't forget about the idea._


	5. but you don't know what he's thinking

but you don't know what he's thinking

"Does it really matter?" she leant against the dresser, arms folded across her chest. He was looking steadily back at her, and she hated the fact that she couldn't guess what he was thinking. "I mean, we both know that we're just…doing this out of mutual benefit, that's all," she added defensively.

He shrugged. "I didn't deny that," he answered placidly. She narrowed her eyes, unsure if she was placated or aggravated by his lack of emotion. She stiffened when he got up from the bed, walking over towards her, his blue eyes never leaving her the entire time. "I'm just asking because you said you would the other time. I was wondering if you'd really bother to follow through," he frowned.

She laughed, a short, dry sound. "I said it in the heat of the moment," her response was brusque. "You wouldn't want me to leave him for you. And I wouldn't want anything more from you either. You don't _love_ me – you're using me, and I'm using you," she gritted her teeth. "So forget about what I said," she snapped, running her fingers through her long fringe. Her hair felt a little damp.

"If you want me to," suddenly he smirked, his lips tilting up briefly. "I think it's a lot easier for me to forget than for you to do the same though," he continued offhandedly, turning around and crouching to retrieve his shirt from the floor. She frowned, gazing at his bare back. "Anyway, I'll see you again tomorrow then?" he picked up his shirt, tugging it over his head in one swift motion. She sighed.

"Maybe," she answered shortly. "I might have other priorities tomorrow," she peeked at the mirror behind her, gazing at her reflection, her fingers drifting unconsciously to the dark bruise on her neck. She'd have to wear concealer to hide it tomorrow…she heard him laugh and whipped around to face him, wondering what he found so funny now. He was observing her, those dark blue eyes as distant as ever – she could never figure out what he was thinking. He was so detached from her, even when they were losing themselves in each other's touch. Like he was holding himself back, somehow.

"Other priorities? Like your boyfriend, I suppose?" he asked, going back to sit on his bed. His every movement was slow and languid, like he couldn't care less about her presence here, but she knew that he was never really that relaxed. The same detachment she sensed from him gave rise to a certain restlessness that meant he was never really still, never fully at ease. Sometimes she could feel him ready to bolt away from her, like he couldn't stand being near her. She didn't know how she felt about that. It shouldn't really matter to her, but it did kind of sting a little – the fact that he could touch her, and be so physically close to her, yet have so many insurmountable walls around himself.

"Yes," she decided to tell him the truth, and he raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. "I said I'd make time for a video call tomorrow. So I won't be free for you," she picked up her bag and decided that it was time for her to leave. There was nothing more for her to do here, anyway.

"He doesn't love you," his words were so soft that she almost didn't hear them. She tensed, already halfway across the room. "Take it from someone who doesn't love. Your boyfriend is just using you the same way I am, but at least I make it clear from the start so you don't have any illusions," he sounded so sincere that for a moment, she was tempted to believe him. But she shook herself and gave him a sharp glare, angry at both him and herself for allowing him to get under her skin this way.

"I don't know what gives you that idea, but Kaito does love me," she retorted. "He chased me for ages, and he's really sweet and caring. He's always thinking about me!" but as she said those words, she realised that they were said emptily, without any conviction whatsoever. She hoped he wouldn't notice that. It was true that her boyfriend treated her well, but…but why didn't she feel anything about it anymore? There was once she had loved him. But now, his affections felt like a chore.

He seemed to understand even without her saying anything. "If that's the case, then why are you here?" he asked, tilting his head, patiently awaiting her reply. She gritted her teeth but didn't let him goad her into responding, so he continued. "If you really love him, and if he loves you the same way, then you wouldn't be here. You wouldn't be having sex with me, and you know that, Miku," the way he said her name sounded like a slow, knowing caress. She couldn't help but shiver.

"I don't have to explain anything to you," she finally answered, her fingers clenching so tightly around her bag strap that her knuckles turned white. "We agreed on this arrangement, no strings attached, no questions asked. So stop asking me about things that aren't relevant to you!" her temper flared and she raised her voice, breathing a little harder than usual. He seemed unaffected by her outburst.

"I'm just curious. People do wonder, you know," he smiled. "That's why I try my best to stay out of affairs of the heart. They're so difficult to understand," he mused. "If I didn't know better, I'd think that you were in love with me. But of course you're not. You love your boyfriend, don't you, Miku?"

She stayed quiet for a few seconds. Then finally she spoke, her voice low. "Shut up and leave me alone, Len," she continued through the room, opening the door and slamming it shut behind her. Len exhaled, closing his eyes and falling back onto his bed. He recognised the anger on her face.

* * *

"You always call me at the same time," she gasped as he ran his hands down her waist, pressing her against the wall. His breath was warm against her neck, and she could feel him nuzzling against her skin. "Always at half-past five…why, is it an important timing for you?" she withdrew from him.

He met her gaze, his blue eyes dark, and instead of answering he leant in for a kiss. She parted her lips willingly and for a while, she felt him claiming her, taking control of her mouth and her body in a way she never allowed anyone else to – not even her boyfriend. It was something she admitted only to herself, the fact that being with Len excited her more than it should. No one else made her feel so alive. But she would never say anything to him. They were just friends with benefits…no, they weren't even _friends_. He only ever called her when he wanted to sleep with her. But she always came anyway.

"No, there's nothing particularly special about it," he answered when he finally parted from her, his breaths coming out in little pants. "It's a nice timing, don't you think? The transition between afternoon and night. Twilight, evening, whatever you want to call it. When there's no such thing as right or wrong," his whisper lingered in the air between them, and she stared at him, wondering if it was a hint, somehow. Then the moment passed. "You're asking too many questions. Didn't we say that this would be a 'no questions asked' arrangement?" he asked, sounding almost mocking now.

"This doesn't intrude on your privacy," she pointed out, scowling. But he placed a finger against her mouth, shushing her, while his thumb brushed against her bottom lip. She felt her heart, already beating fast, speed up even more. Why didn't she feel this way about her boyfriend anymore? The thoughts of Kaito she had, the many memories they shared as a couple, only gave her a sense of lukewarm fondness now. She couldn't remember if their relationship had ever been exciting, the way her meetings with Len were. Probably not. Kaito was the most vanilla guy she had ever dated.

But that was why she liked him. Because he was secure, predictable and stable, and he was sweet to her. Len was the complete opposite – fickle, flighty and secretive. He touched her in the most loving ways, but his words were cold and removed. He was hot and cold, fire and ice – a conundrum that she desperately wished she could solve. "You just assume that it doesn't intrude on my privacy," he answered lightly. "Since you asked me a question, let me ask you one in return – I thought you had a video call with your boyfriend today. Why did you still come when I called you then, in that case?"

She hesitated. She wanted to snap at him and say that it was none of his business, but when her lips parted she found the truth spilling out of her mouth – "He was busy with work, so we cancelled. And anyway I wasn't in the mood to chat with him. He's been talking a lot about this new girl he met in his dormitory nowadays," she admitted. She wasn't jealous at all, really. But it felt strange to hear her boyfriend talking about his new female friends. She wasn't sure how she ought to feel about that.

They were just friends, Kaito reassured her, but…it was hard to look at the girl named Megurine Luka and believe that they were just friends. She ought to trust Kaito, she knew that, but she simply had no motivation to believe in him. Honestly, even if he cheated on her now, at this point she'd just feel a small pang of sadness, and it'd be easily forgotten the moment she visited Len. It wasn't love she felt for the blond boy. She couldn't love someone she barely knew. But…he made her life interesting.

"You two still haven't broken up then, I suppose?" he asked, studying her. She shook her head. "I see. Well, it doesn't matter to me and it's not any of my business," he leant closer, and she could smell the fresh scent of his cologne. It was a heady fragrance, and it made her feel almost dizzy. "But if you continue to play around the way you do now, the only one who's going to be hurt at the end is yourself," he added, "and of course I care enough about you to not want you to do anything stupid."

She blinked. " _You_ care about me?" she asked, incredulous. It just didn't seem to be possible. Len gave her a strange look and placed his fingers against her cheek, still so close to her that she felt almost overwhelmed by his presence. She was stuck between him and the wall, a familiar position for her to be in by now. She was the leader in her relationship with Kaito. But that wasn't the case with Len.

"More than you think I do," he answered seriously, meeting her gaze. She didn't know what to say, uncertain if he was joking around or if he really meant what he said. It seemed so unlike him. "You aren't a stranger to me, Miku. And I'm not heartless, despite what you seem to think. I do care about the people I know," he smiled, then leant in to kiss her on the cheek. She inhaled shakily. "Now come to bed with me," he whispered in that seductive voice of his, eyelids lowering sensuously.

Helplessly, she obeyed him, and later she wondered whether meeting him was a blessing or a curse.

* * *

"No strings attached?" she mused, running her finger around the rim of her glass. This was a stupid idea. She wasn't so drunk that she didn't know it was a stupid idea. But the idea was very tempting.

The blond boy smiled and nodded, taking a gulp from his beer while maintaining eye contact the whole time. He was a beautiful boy, and she recognised him – he was from her university, but he definitely wasn't from her course. She didn't know what major he took, but she had seen him around the school before. She thought she knew his name. Kagamine Len, pretty much a model student – he was part of the Student Union, he helped out weekly at an animal shelter and was a recipient of the President's Scholarship, a prestigious scholarship awarded to only three students who all displayed outstanding leadership qualities, actively participated in the community and had practically perfect grades to top it all off. She couldn't believe Kagamine Len was in a bar with her.

Why was he even talking to her? No, maybe the better question to ask was, why was he giving her such a proposal? "You know I have a boyfriend, right?" she laughed, then hiccupped a little. She was getting tipsy. "I was telling you about him just now. Um, he's studying in another country, but he'll be back soon," she hiccupped again, drinking more of her alcohol. Where had all her friends gone?

"Yeah, I heard you," Kagamine Len said sweetly. He was a really charming guy. He bought her a drink when he saw her sitting at the bar – all her friends were…elsewhere – and he started talking to her. She chatted with him because she recognised him from her school, and he proved to be a very good listener – he had listened to her talking about her boyfriend all night, about how they used to be really close but she felt that recently they were drifting apart, what with their long-distance relationship. "I understand that you feel neglected in this relationship, so I'm simply offering you a solution to your problem. You don't love me; I don't love you – we're just in it for mutual benefit. What do you say?"

She frowned. She understood what he was saying, but _why_ he was telling her all this was simply beyond her. And the drink wasn't helping either. "Why? You could get anyone else," her words slurred a little, and she paused, trying to steady herself. "You don't need to go after me. You're…a scholar, Len," she shook her head dazedly. "And you're a _very_ attractive one at that. Any girl…would want you," she stumbled over her words, taking another gulp of her drink. Len's gaze never left her.

"But I don't want them," he answered simply. "I don't want to deal with love. I don't want that girl to want me, and let's admit that these kind of relationships inevitably result in feelings. If you are already happily attached, and you're just missing the physical aspect of the relationship…" he leant towards her, a small smile on his face, "then why not give it a shot? It's not like you'll really be cheating on him, after all. You don't love me, do you? You can use me as a substitute. I don't care."

She continued to frown. Somehow, this conversation did not seem to match the pretty golden boy image Len was famous for in their university. "You don't seem to be okay," she observed, finishing off the rest of her drink. She had never been a very good drinker, and she could feel herself getting a little…floaty. "Um, are you drunk?" she laughed, turning her head to look at the people on the dance floor. She searched for her friends, but couldn't see them. Her vision seemed to be almost foggy, like she couldn't focus on anything. Miku was aware that she was going to end up dead drunk soon.

"Me? I can hold my drink pretty well. Better than you, definitely," he answered, putting his beer down. Then suddenly he lunged forward and turned her head, kissing her on the lips. Her eyes widened as she felt his soft lips against hers – it only lasted for a few seconds, but the unexpected kiss was enough to sober her up for a while. She lunged back, gasping, her heart suddenly racing in her chest, and stared in disbelief at the blond boy. Len gave her a mischievous grin. "Or maybe I am drunk," he mused. "I think I must be, to be so forward. I'm normally not like this," he lowered his voice, as though he was telling her a secret. "But I thought…I really wanted to get to know you…"

"Why?" she asked, her voice trembling. Her heart was thudding away in her chest. Kagamine Len, one of the most handsome guys on campus, had just kissed her. Thankfully no one had noticed. She didn't know if she should slap him or not, for taking advantage of her that way. She knew she ought to, but her hand didn't seem willing to move. She could still feel the imprint of his lips on hers – a feeling she hadn't experienced in _so_ long…she didn't realise just how much she was craving physical contact until Len kissed her. And suddenly her body, her nerves, everything felt like it was on fire.

"Because you're beautiful," he sounded sincere, but she couldn't be sure. "And because you can never be mine, which is why you're perfect for this. I don't want to fall in love," his eyes narrowed a little, "and since you already have a boyfriend, that's not something I have to worry about."

* * *

It had been stupid to agree, but at that moment she just wanted someone to hold her, to touch her and murmur in her ear – she craved intimacy, and Len's knowing whispers and his soft touches gave her exactly what she wanted. She didn't feel the oppressive neglect she never realised she suffered when she was with Len. He fulfilled her craving for physical closeness to someone, to anyone.

But it confused her. He confused her. In the beginning it had been very obvious that he wasn't keen on anything that went beyond physical touch – she once asked him why he was looking for a person to sleep with, and he just said that he was trying to get over someone. She assumed that he had been dumped recently and just wanted a physical outlet for the post-breakup feelings, so she didn't think too much about their situation. But nowadays, things felt like they were a little bit different.

For one thing, ever since the night she accidentally blurted out that she'd break up with Kaito for him, Len had seemed strangely fixated on the issue. The Len she first met, the Len only she knew – for everyone else still saw him as the golden boy, the perfect scholar – would have brushed off her feelings entirely. He was callous in an almost unintentional way – she suspected that the pressure he felt to maintain his grades, plus the possibility that he had broken up with his girlfriend before he met her, caused him to shy away from emotional intimacy. The idea of love simply appalled him.

But if he was still so emotionally distant, then why did he keep asking her about Kaito? The more he asked, the more stinging her remarks became. She spoke to him as viciously as she could, her words dripping with poison, simply because she hated herself for essentially cheating on her boyfriend yet being unable to stop. Len was like a drug, by this point. There was no one else who made her feel so exhilarated – compared to him, Kaito was a mere shadow, barely present in her mind. Sometimes she even forgot he existed until she checked her phone and saw that he had left her a message.

She suspected – it was just suspicion, and sometimes she didn't know if it was a valid thought or just something born out of her own self-delusion – that Kaito was beginning to drift away from her too. Of course she couldn't be sure since his messages and his voice, when he called her, still sounded the same – but her intuition told her that his attention was focused on other matters now, whenever they spoke to each other. She was no longer a number one priority in his life. Maybe they were moving on – Kaito once admitted that he wouldn't mind settling down overseas after his university education, but Miku didn't want to migrate. And there were other differences between them that she was only beginning to notice now. Maybe they simply weren't meant to be?

"What are you thinking about?" Len's familiar voice cut into her thoughts and she blinked, jolted out of her reverie. She glanced at him – he was lying next to her, watching her curiously. He looked so breathtakingly handsome. She sometimes wondered who was the girl who had dumped Len. She must have had a major reason to leave someone like him. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling, wincing as the motion pulled on her neck – she was feeling sore practically everywhere. Len was not the gentlest person in bed, especially compared to Kaito, but…she realised she actually preferred it rough and angry, rather than being treated like she was made of glass. The roughness made it feel real.

"Just about Kaito," she answered honestly. She was answering him truthfully most of the time now, she wasn't sure why herself. Len didn't seem to mind this newfound openness – in fact, he seemed to quite enjoy it, and in exchange he seemed more willing to spend time with her too. Well, time that didn't involve copulation, anyway. He was even helping her with her weaker subjects now. Len was actually a surprisingly good teacher – not something she would have thought, since he seemed so emotionally distant, so difficult to connect with. But maybe that was why he could teach?

"Him again," he stated, rolling over onto his side. "You're always thinking about him. I bet when I kiss you, you pretend he's the one touching you instead. Not that it matters to me, of course. Your feelings for him aren't important in our arrangement," he eyed her carefully, but she kept mum. That wasn't something she wanted to talk to Len about. The blond boy let her silence go. "Do you remember what I said? That all this uncertainty will confuse you, and you'll just end up hurting yourself. You should tell him how you really feel instead of letting it drag on like this," he drawled.

Her temper, as quick as ever, flared at his words. "And you should stop assuming you know how I really feel," she retorted acidly, glaring at him. Len seemed completely unruffled by her anger, and she couldn't help but calm down slightly. "I don't…I don't really want to break up with him, okay?" she admitted. "He's a safety net. He's always been a safety net. I know that he'll always be there for me no matter what I do, or what sort of stupid decisions I make. And I shouldn't rely on him, but…I can't help it," she gnawed nervously on her lip, suddenly confiding in him. Len didn't tease her, to her surprise.

Instead, he looked thoughtful. "But then you're hurting him that way, especially if you don't love him anymore," he pointed out. "If you're just using a person as a backup plan, don't you think that's the worst thing you could do to him? After all, it seems like you might already like someone else," he shrugged. She stared at him. Was he hinting something? She hated how mysterious he was, how his every single word sounded like a double-edged sword – but if he really meant what he was saying…

"I don't feel anything for you," she retorted, narrowing her eyes. Len just raised an eyebrow and turned away from her so that his back was facing her. She was tempted to reach over and shake him, forcing him to look back at her, but before she could actually do anything she heard him speak again.

"I didn't say that you did, I just said it seems like you might have moved on. And sometimes I see you staring at nothing, as though you're remembering something or someone. There's always a smile on your face, and I don't think it's because of your boyfriend," his voice sounded slightly muffled. "It's just an observation of mine, you didn't have to jump to conclusions. Anyway, I'll be taking a quick nap because I'm exhausted, so if you want to stay around don't bother me," and then he fell silent.

She didn't know what to say, so for a while she just lay there on the bed, glancing at his back once every so often. Did she really just blank out and smile at nothing like what he claimed? She didn't know that he watched her that closely. The thought of him actually paying her any attention made her feel strange. She didn't know whether she liked it or not. Their relationship was weird enough by itself, so having all these feelings about Len now didn't help matters at all. She let out a sigh and shook her head – no, Len was definitely just trying to confuse her as usual. He seemed to think that it was some kind of game, messing around with her. This was nothing new to her.

Gently, she leant back against the mattress, careful not to wake Len up. She didn't know whether he was really asleep or not, but she thought it was better not to risk rousing him. Closing her eyes, she decided to take a nap too. His body warmth next to her was comforting, and she fell asleep quickly.

* * *

" _No uncertainties. Just sex_ ," she remembered his whisper and swallowed, clutching on to her bag. She was outside his apartment again. Len lived near their university in an apartment of his own – his scholarship was enough to pay for the rent, and his older sister, Kagamine Rin, was a big-name lawyer who apparently gave her little brother lots of pocket money every month. Miku didn't know much about what his parents did, and Len never seemed willing to talk about it so she didn't ask.

Before she could ring the doorbell, the door swung open and Len stood there, his eyes as guarded and distant as always. She didn't even manage to greet him before he reached out and yanked her into the apartment, locking the door behind her. She stumbled in, shaking off his hand, and glared up at him. "What's your problem?" she asked grouchily, putting her bag down and looking around.

Len kept his studio apartment pretty tidy, which was surprising for a guy. The curtains were drawn as usual. He preferred the place to be darker unless he had work to do. It was funny, how all these months of them meeting up had led to her noticing all his little quirks. His mouth was set in a grim line today, and she had the sneaking suspicion that something was wrong. "Len?" she asked, voice shaking a little. He was always aloof, but he never looked so grave. Yet when he called her and asked her to come over today, it didn't sound like there was anything going on.

"You fell asleep on my bed yesterday," he started, narrowing his eyes – then suddenly he paused, as though checking himself. "Forget that. Never mind, it's not important," he studied her, then took a step closer. She held her ground, though she trembled a little – it wasn't out of fear, but she didn't know exactly what she was feeling either. "Come here," he said brusquely, grabbing her wrist and pulling her over to the bed. She yelped as he pushed her down onto the mattress – even for Len, this was surprisingly aggressive. He normally didn't get into it straightaway, preferring to take his time.

"Are you okay?" she checked, just to be sure. She was a little bit concerned about him. Her heart was thudding in her chest, and she felt slightly dizzy – his intoxicating cologne wafted off him, piercing into her brain. She vaguely wondered if he was aware of how much his scent affected her. Len stared down at her, his eyes hooded, and for once she could read the look on his face. He looked almost uncertain, almost afraid. But he continued to brace himself over her, keeping her trapped.

"Remember what we were talking about before I took a nap?" he asked. She frowned. She could recall – they had been talking about her relationship with her boyfriend. "I just wanted to ask you again – are you going to break up with him?" his eyes met hers. "You said you would. It's not the first time that's slipped out from your mouth, almost as though you weren't thinking about what you were saying…you should be more careful. You don't want to promise people something you can't provide," he whispered, leaning down to her. Their faces were so close that she couldn't breathe.

"It was in the heat of the moment," she answered feebly, her eyelids lowering of their own accord. There was something about their proximity that was almost lulling. Was she really so used to his presence, to his nearness now? "I'll always tell you that, Len. I'm not going to…break up…" her voice trailed off, and she bit her lip, hesitant. Len was staring at her intently, uncertainty still on his face.

"I'm tired of pretending to be someone I'm not," he said simply. Before she could ask him what he meant by that, he pressed his lips to hers, and she instinctively parted her lips for him. But this kiss felt different. It wasn't rough or aggressive like how it usually was – it was certainly still forceful and dominating, but it didn't feel like a fight, like he was punishing her for something she did wrong. Instead it was a firm kiss, almost soft and gentle but not quite. His hand reached up to cup her face and her eyes flew open at the unfamiliar contact, blinking wildly at him. Len had his eyes closed.

She tried to break away, but he didn't let her go, and it was only when she started to struggle for air that he actually parted from her. "What…do you mean?" she gasped, searching his gaze. Her breathing was ragged. Len looked uneasy too, completely different from his usual composed self, but she waited for him to reply. She wanted to know why he was acting all weird around her today.

"You asked me before why I chose you specifically. It was never about the fact you had a boyfriend. And it wasn't because I hated commitment," he coughed. "I had my eyes on you the whole night at the bar before I approached you…but then you told me you had a boyfriend. I'm not used to losing," he narrowed his eyes, "so I decided that I'd do anything I could to get closer to you. I'm not ashamed of that," he met her gaze, "because the more time I spend with you, the more I know you don't love him anymore. And if you don't love him, then that means I'll have a chance, doesn't it?" he asked.

She felt a little overwhelmed. "I don't get it. What do you mean?" she asked, voice shaking. "I thought you were dumped by your ex, so you were just looking for an outlet to vent and you wanted me since I wouldn't fall for you, and you didn't want to deal with love again so soon. Are you saying that you were _lying_ to me?" his eyes were so blue that she felt like she was drowning in their depths.

"I was," he answered without hesitation. "I try my best to get anything I set my sights on, Miku. And I wanted you," his voice softened. "I admit at first it was lust. I'm not as nice a person as everyone makes me out to be, which you already know. But then you keep…getting into my head. I can't study if I don't meet you that day. If I don't hear your voice I can't sleep at night," he glanced away from her, almost shamefaced. "I didn't want to admit that you had gotten under my skin, especially since the entire time I told myself I just wanted the physical part of a relationship. I didn't want to fall in love – that much was true. But the first time you said you'd break up with Kaito, I thought…I just…"

His voice faded off and he simply looked away from her, almost guilty. She didn't know how to react. This was too sudden. She had never once suspected, never once thought…okay, so maybe there were a few times where she wondered if Len was really as apathetic towards her as he appeared to be, but she never thought he actually felt anything for her. "You were the one who admitted that relationships like ours almost inevitably result in feelings," she whispered. "You should know better."

"I should," he agreed. "I should have known, but I went ahead and did it anyway. Because at first to me, you were just a pretty face – no, you were gorgeous, sitting alone at the bar with your teal hair undone and your face flushed from drink. I wanted you right there and then," his voice softened. "It didn't seem right if I never at least tried to talk to you, so I did that. And I still want you, even now."

Before she could say anything, he kissed her again, this time a deeper and more possessive kiss. At first she didn't respond, but slowly she felt the familiarity of his kisses and she began to kiss back, her arms looping around his neck while he murmured her name and bit her neck, her skin, the exposed parts of her that begged for his attention. His heady scent permeated her brain, and she forgot everyone – she forgot who her boyfriend even was. For that moment, there was only Len, and she was with him. The places he touched tingled, and she knew there were more hickeys forming on her skin. She'd be covered in them by tomorrow. But she didn't mind. Len raised his head, panting.

"Break up with Kaito," he whispered. "Please. You don't love him anymore. But I want you – _God_ , I want you so badly. Be mine," he placed his hand on her thigh, keeping her knee up against his hip, before he quickly rolled them over so that she was straddling his waist, slightly confused about the sudden change in position. "I'll do anything," he continued, his voice still a soft whisper. "Anything you want from me. Just tell me that you'll be mine," he reached up, his hand cupping her cheek.

"Anything?" she raised an eyebrow, suddenly intrigued by the idea. "Even if I tie you up and refuse to let you dominate me?" a hard thing for him to accept, she was sure. Len was a dominant and a sadist through and through – he had hurt her before sometimes, though always within her boundaries and with her permission, and she knew that giving up his power in their very sexual relationship would be a difficult task. Len hesitated, but he nodded. A satisfied smile crossed her lips. "All right," she whispered, "then I'm yours. I'm yours now, Len. I wanted you too," she stroked her fingers through his blond hair and watched as his eyelids fluttered, his lips parting in a sigh. She didn't know she had this much control over him. "Take me if you want," she traced his lips.

His eyes snapped open and he lunged at her, capturing her lips and wrapping his arms so tightly around her that she couldn't break away, even if she wanted to. She kissed back, contented – her heart was still racing, something it hadn't done around Kaito in a long, long time.

She's break up with Kaito tomorrow. But for tonight, she would enjoy Len's company. Although it was very sudden to her, it had not been entirely unexpected. And it was actually kind of fun, knowing that he yearned so badly for her. Who would have known?


	6. life isn't a fairytale

life isn't a fairytale

"You know, you're a lot prettier than I am," Miku sighed, leaning against the desk. The silver haired boy twitched at her words, and she smiled to herself, knowing he would react to what she said.

"I don't appreciate being called pretty," he answered. "Especially when I can't tell if you meant it as a compliment or an insult," he flipped over a page, scanning through the words quickly. Miku just giggled and continued to watch him doing his work, content to be in the same room as him even if he wasn't talking. After some time, he finally looked up from the papers, cautiously meeting her gaze. "Don't you have anywhere else to be?" he asked, twirling a pen with his long, slender fingers.

"Nope! I finished all the work our tutor assigned us, and I'm done studying for the test tomorrow too so I'm just going to stay here and watch you work," she smiled. "Mikuo said I ought to keep an eye on you. He told me that the last time you went unsupervised, you left out an entire class and he had to finish scanning the answer sheets on your behalf. So I'm here to make sure you don't mess up!"

He sighed, sounding irritated. "That was an accident! I was tired that day. It won't happen again," he slanted his gaze towards her, frowning. "But you know, as a student you shouldn't be watching me. It's not good, you know? It could probably be seen as cheating," he cautioned. She just shrugged, sitting on the chair opposite his and swinging her legs, having heard this many times before.

"Piko, you're a teaching _assistant_. You're not actually a teacher. Stop pretending that you aren't only one year older than me," she chided. The boy grinned, his lips quirking up slightly, before he shook his head and continued to look through the papers he had to grade. "Besides, if neither one of us say anything, no one will know I was watching while you mark," she shrugged again. He inclined his head in acknowledgement, and silence fell between them. Watching him work made her feel calm.

Utatane Piko was her older brother's good friend. Both of them were in their final year at university, and they had taken up teaching assistant jobs to supplement their pocket money while they studied. Miku was in the same university as them, being one year younger. She had known Piko for several years and personally thought that he was rather attractive. But he never seemed to notice her that way, so she didn't try to flirt with him or anything either. She didn't want to be rejected by him.

"How's school, though? Your finals are coming up soon, aren't they? Are you nervous?" Piko rose from his chair, shuffling the stack of papers and going to feed them into the OMR scanner. "If you need any help with your coursework, you can ask me. I remember what Honne Dell was like during _my_ finals last year…hah. I swear, that man just wants to fail as many of his students as possible."

"Nah, he's not _that_ bad," she giggled, staying put and watching as he began the process of grading the papers. His silvery hair fell forward, framing part of his face, and the intense concentration in those dual coloured eyes was particularly mesmerising. Piko had gorgeous eyes, one the colour of a lush spring meadow, the other the bright cerulean of a summer sea. When Piko was introduced as the teaching assistant for one of their modules this semester, the number of female students in the class suddenly spiked. It didn't take a genius to figure out the reason for the dramatic increase.

"Maybe because you're a girl. He's really biased towards girls, if I remember correctly. You can ask your brother if you don't believe me," he didn't look up from his task but there was humour in his smooth voice. Miku studied his profile – he was wearing a faded band tee and fitted jeans, a spiked black choker around his neck. She didn't think she knew any other guy who could pull off such an outfit without looking like some punk rocker wannabe or something. "By the way, where's your brother?"

"Mikuo? He's out on a date," she twirled some of her long teal hair around her finger, wondering how that was working out at the moment. Mikuo never seemed to settle down with someone for very long. She didn't know why he kept hopping from relationship to relationship, but at least the breakups were always amiable. She wouldn't call her brother a playboy, but he had an impressive track record when it came to dating and girlfriends. He had more dates in this year alone than she did in her entire life. Then again, she wasn't interested in any guys at the moment…not really.

"With Megurine Luka?" Piko looked up from the scanner, something almost like surprise on his face. She shrugged – the name wasn't familiar, but she didn't really know who most of her brother's dates were anyway. "Weird. I thought he said that – well, never mind what he said. Guess that means you two aren't meeting for dinner tonight?" he referenced their tradition of eating together. Miku and Mikuo liked to catch up with each other over food. Even in university, the siblings were close.

She shook her head. "Wanna eat with me?" she offered. Piko continued scanning the papers, taking each OMR paper from the stack and feeding it into the holder. He didn't respond immediately, focused on his task, and she began to wonder if he was feeling awkward about the invitation. She could never really tell where their boundaries were. What was all right, and what made him uncomfortable?

"Sure, why not?" he finally answered. "I'll just have to tell Lily I can't make it tonight, but I guess it's fine," he glanced at her quickly and gave her a brief smile before he resumed scanning the papers. She stiffened at the sound of the name. She had never heard that name before. Who was this Lily?

"Who's that, your girlfriend?" she threw out casually, wondering if she was right. Piko had never said anything about having a girlfriend before. Of course it wouldn't be surprising if he actually was with someone, he _was_ pretty good-looking, and it wasn't like the two of them were anything more than casual friends anyway. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to find out about his relationship status.

"Not exactly. She's one of my project partners for our final year project," his idle response caused her to exhale in relief, though she hid it so that he wouldn't suspect something was up. "But she's living in the same hall as me so we meet up for dinner sometimes. If you want me to, I can hang out with you instead, once my work is done," he glanced up again, grinning this time. "It won't be much longer. And I heard your stomach growling just now," he added teasingly. She blushed, embarrassed.

"I haven't eaten anything since breakfast! Of course I'm starving," she defended herself. Suddenly, Piko stopped what he was doing and stared at her, frowning. She fidgeted, uncomfortable about being watched so intently. Did she say something wrong? "Um, is there something on my face?"

"How could you not have eaten anything since breakfast?" he snapped, shaking his head. She flinched. He actually sounded unhappy. "My work can wait till later. Come on, we'll go eat now," he pressed a button on the scanner and carried the stack of papers back to his desk, grabbing her wrist and pulling her out of the office. She protested a little, but secretly she was kind of glad. So Piko did care about her after all. Sometimes, she thought that he actually found her a little bit annoying.

* * *

"Oi, Piko!" they both turned at the sound of the new voice. Miku saw two seniors from her Dance Club, Kagamine Len and Rin – they were twins, and they treated her like a little sister of sorts. "And Miku," Rin added, beaming at her. The two blond twins walked over to them, striking up a conversation.

"Where's Mikuo?" Len added, glancing at her. She wasn't very close to the male twin, though she and Rin got along pretty well. It wasn't that surprising though, since Rin _was_ her direct senior. They took the same course and Rin usually passed her textbooks down to Miku when she didn't need them anymore. Len and Mikuo were good friends too, from what she observed of them.

"On a date," Piko answered, and Miku noticed him looking quickly at Rin. She peeked at the girl too and saw that she looked just a little bit disappointed, but she perked up a few seconds later. Miku wondered whether Rin was fond of her brother. "But you know what Mikuo is like – he'll probably break up with her before long, saying that there wasn't a spark or something," he added blithely.

"Hah…yeah," Rin nodded, sweeping her blonde fringe out of her eyes. "But anyway! That's not why we're looking for you, Piko. Are you going for Gumo's birthday party? He booked a chalet for our entire senior class. It'd be great for a catch-up, don't you think?" she giggled. "And you may even see SeeU again, who knows?" Rin shot him a wink. Miku froze up at that name. Now this sounded even more suspicious than that Lily person. Rin seemed to really be implying that Piko had a crush…

Piko groaned. "Stop teasing me about her, that was ages ago," he defended himself. Miku felt her heart sink a little bit and thought that her expression might mirror Rin's one from a few moments ago. "It's been years since we were seniors…God, I feel old," he sighed and shook his head. "I guess I'll go if all of you are going. You know I was never very talkative in school. It's going to be _awkward_."

"Hey, don't think that," Len slung his arm around Piko's neck, ruffling his hair. "Rin and I looked out for you back then and that isn't gonna change," he smirked. "It's fun to see pretty boy Utatane all grown up now. And you even got yourself a girlfriend!" Len glanced at her, his smile widening.

Piko spluttered. "Don't get the wrong idea! We're just friends," he hastily corrected Len, and Miku's heart fell even further. His hasty reaction…she supposed he really felt nothing romantic towards her, then. Rin raised an eyebrow, giving her a strange look, but she didn't say anything. Len simply gaped as though unable to believe what Piko just said. "Dude, she's Mikuo's _little sister_. You really think I'd risk my life dating his sister?" Piko snorted, brushing Len off. Miku squirmed, feeling uncomfortable.

"Mikuo isn't _that_ protective of me…" she spoke up in a small voice, attracting the attention of the three seniors. Len nodded in relief, as though her words had just proven some kind of point, but Piko shook his head resolutely and edged away from her, trying to put some distance between them.

"You don't know how he talks about you when you're not around. He's so proud of you, Miku. And I'd probably get strangled or something if I dated you without his explicit permission – not that I want to, of course," he clarified, smiling cautiously. Miku admitted that she wasn't madly in love with Piko or anything, but his words were a huge blow to her pride. Was she really that unattractive?

"Sure, sure," she nodded, knowing that all of them were waiting for her to say something. "I don't want to date _you_ either, it'd be like…I don't know, incest or something," she pretended she was fine, making a joke out of it to keep the atmosphere light. Piko looked relieved, and she tried not to let that affect her. "Len, Rin, do you want to join us for a meal? If you're not too busy, that is…"

"Yeah sure, why not? Might as well talk to you about some logistics for the club," Rin slung her arm through hers, walking by her side, while Len fell behind to chat with Piko. Rin was the President of the Dance Club and Miku's mentor, while her twin brother was one of their key choreographers. Miku was just a member, but she was passionate about dance and Rin had noticed that from the very beginning, taking a special interest in her as well. Over time, their relationship had grown to become a true friendship – Miku would say that she was closer to Rin than her older brother was, though it was kind of obvious to her that Rin would like to become closer to Mikuo as well.

"Mikuo should be back in his hall pretty early tonight. He always tells me if he isn't going to stay in campus, and he didn't say anything this time, so I guess he won't stay out late," she spoke to her mentor and senior, who looked rather distracted as she walked with Miku. Rin jumped, startled out of whatever she was thinking about, and smiled hesitantly at Miku, nodding in thanks. "Rin, do you… _like_ Mikuo?" she asked carefully, deciding it would be better to ask than to just assume Rin had a crush on him.

"Is it that obvious?" Rin leant close and whispered in her ear so that Piko and Len wouldn't hear them talking. "I guess I kind of do, but…he's such a notorious speed-dater that I'm kind of worried that I'll just get my heart broken," she sighed. "So I'm not making any moves for now. Len thinks that I should just confess if I really like him, but I don't know…I think I'll wait a little while longer. How about you and Piko?" she grinned at Miku's shocked face. "Even my dense brother can tell, Miku."

"Um…" she didn't know how to explain her situation. "I don't think I really, _really_ like him. I mean, yeah I think he's attractive, but…it wouldn't kill me if he went out with someone else, you know?" she shrugged. "I _hope_ he doesn't, but I know it's unrealistic to keep hoping for that. A lot of girls in my cohort think he's super cute and he's one of the better-known seniors since he's a teaching assistant and all. I feel that it won't be long before people really start trying to ask him out."

"That may be true, but you also know that Piko isn't the type to just go out with anyone who asks," Rin replied, her voice filled with confidence. Miku wished that confidence could reach her. "I don't really know who Piko likes – heck, _no one_ knows I think, not even Mikuo – but the one thing I know is that Piko would always think very, very carefully before he makes a move, even if he likes the girl a lot. He's very cautious by nature, so you have to forgive him if he seems difficult to read," Rin's blue eyes twinkled. Miku was suddenly very glad that she was fairly close to her brother's group of friends.

Of course she did have her own friends in school, but she had known Mikuo's friends almost as long as she knew her own – in Piko's case, she had known him ever since she was young. Piko and Mikuo first became classmates when they were thirteen, and they had been tight ever since. Len and Rin were part of Mikuo's junior class, but they didn't really start talking and getting close until senior year, and Miku didn't even meet the two of them until she entered university. Knowing Mikuo's friends, even if they were a year ahead of her, helped her tide through the difficult first days of her university life. These seniors made living on campus and getting to know people more tolerable.

"What are you two talking about?" Len came over, Piko trailing along behind him, his blue eyes filled with curiosity. Miku and Rin promptly clammed up, turning around to respond with a synchronised "nothing". The two girls exchanged a glance and burst out laughing, leaving the two boys looking extremely confused. Miku caught Piko's eye and he smiled at her again, looking almost apologetic.

She wasn't sure if he really felt sorry – he had no reason to feel sorry since he didn't know that she had a crush on him, right? Then again, she might just be reading too much into his expression.

* * *

"Mikuo…" Piko opened his room door, frowning at his obviously drunk friend. Mikuo didn't seem to be in very good shape, so he quickly brought him into his room and pushed him onto the spare bed, going to prepare a damp, hot towel. He was going to have a nasty hangover when he woke up.

Lucky for Mikuo that his roommate, an exchange student, had already gone back to his country, so the other bed was empty for now. "What the hell are you doing?" Piko muttered, bringing the towel up and draping it across his friend's forehead. Mikuo groaned, muttering something unintelligible. He really was out of it. Something must have happened then – Mikuo normally didn't drink enough to get completely wasted like this. It was shocking that he even managed to come back to school.

Should he call his sister? Miku would no doubt be a better person to look after her brother than him. Piko felt awkward enough about sitting here, holding a damp towel, even though Mikuo was his friend. But at the same time he knew Miku would freak out if she saw her brother this way. Miku was a nice girl, playful and mischievous but at the same time, hardworking and studious. She never went drinking, she never went to parties, she wasn't a clubber. So Piko didn't think it was a good idea to let her see her brother in this state. He'd much rather keep her in the dark about Mikuo's drinking habits.

Speaking of Miku, he thought back to what she was like during dinner. She didn't really talk much, which worried him a bit. Miku was normally rather talkative, easily chattier than Len and Rin. But for once the Kagamine twins monopolised the conversation, talking about their dance, their studies, the party Gumo was hosting, their past friends and classmates…was it because Len mistakenly thought that he and Miku were dating? He wanted to punch the blond idiot. How could he think that?

The teal haired boy groaned again, turning his face towards the mattress. Piko watched carefully, hoping that Mikuo wouldn't throw up onto the floor. He definitely needed someone to help look after the drunk…Rin? Rin might be a good choice. She obviously cared for Mikuo, constantly asking where he was and what he was doing, how he was coping with his work and studies. Perhaps he should call Rin. She wouldn't be shocked about Mikuo's nightlife either. Decisively, he dialled her number, and she picked up quickly. "Hey, Rin?" he asked. "Can you come to my room? I know it's a bit late, but Mikuo just came back and he's really stoned. I need someone to help take care of him."

"Mikuo?" Rin sounded concerned. "All right, I'll be over in a bit," she hung up and Piko waited, watching Mikuo carefully to ensure that the boy did nothing Piko might regret. Thankfully, when Rin knocked on the door, Mikuo still had not done anything too troublesome and Piko opened the door for her, grateful for the intervention. "Why did he drink so much?" Rin demanded once he closed the door behind her, locking it for good measure. It would be bad if people realised there was a girl in his room, even if said girl was a good friend. Rumours spread quickly in school. "Wasn't he on a date?"

"Beats me," Piko shrugged. "Miku was the one who said he went dating. I don't know if he actually did," they both glanced at the unconscious boy, who was now moaning some gibberish in his sleep. Mikuo was a very noisy drunk. "Anyway, I have a test to study for tomorrow so I don't think I can stay here and listen to him complaining about…whatever he's saying. Do you mind if I leave first and find somewhere else to sleep? You can call me tomorrow morning or if you really need backup."

"Yeah sure, I don't mind," Rin nodded, sitting gingerly on the bed next to Mikuo and wiping the damp towel across his forehead. Mikuo moaned again, sounding feverish, and Rin's brow furrowed in concern. "He doesn't sound like he's just drunk," she observed, placing a hand against his skin. "He's pretty warm. But I guess we'll have to wait to see whether he's ill or if it's just the alcohol…" her blue eyes flitted up, meeting his gaze. "Who's his roommate, anyway? I don't actually know."

"He has a single room in the Lehmann Wing," Piko answered, in the midst of shrugging on a jacket and picking up a stack of notes. "He always comes looking for me whenever he's in trouble though. I guess he just instinctively came here tonight as well," he sighed. "I really want to know what he was doing all day. Guess we'll just have to wait for that too," he glanced at Mikuo, studying his teal hair and the fair skin, the features which looked so much like his younger sister's. Mikuo and Miku had an uncanny resemblance to each other, despite not being twins. He flinched at the reminder, looking away from his best friend. Sometimes, he mixed the two of them up, and not really in a good way.

"I'll let you know if I find out soon," Rin was looking down at Mikuo, concern on her face. Piko knew that she cared for him, and not just as friends – Len had mentioned it once before, and though all of them pretended not to be aware of Rin's crush on Mikuo, it was obvious as daylight anyway. That was the main reason why Piko had called Rin for help too. "You didn't tell Miku about her brother?" she added, placing her fingers against Mikuo's cheek. Piko shrugged, not wanting to admit that he, in fact, did not reveal anything. Rin glanced up as the silence stretched on. "Piko, you really should."

"I didn't want her to worry or be surprised by her brother's drunkenness," he explained, knowing that he sounded defensive. "She's such a good girl, especially in comparison to him. I have no idea what kind of impression she has of her brother, but it probably isn't this and I don't want to ruin things for her either. Besides, it's a school night, so I don't think it'd be right to disturb her now."

"And it's okay to disturb me?" Rin sounded more amused than annoyed, but Piko felt a little bit guilty anyway. She sighed. "You talked about how protective Mikuo is of her this afternoon, but it's just the two of us here now – well, three if you count Mikuo. So let's not pretend. We both know that you're the most protective of her among all of us, and don't lie – Mikuo does love his sister, but he would never try to control her or restrict her the way you do," Rin explained. "Don't tell me that you're doing it out of concern for her. You can't see it, but what you're doing is just holding her back."

Piko frowned. "I'm not trying to hold her back or anything. I just think that there are certain things she shouldn't be exposed to so soon, and this is one of them," he indicated Mikuo's unconscious form. "I mean, how would you feel if all along, you thought your brother was nice and innocent, and suddenly you get a call from his best friend saying that he's passed out and could you _please_ come and take care of him? And she has a test soon! I don't want her to be distracted from her studies."

"Piko, you're still treating her like she's twelve years old. We both know that she's not – she's only one year younger than us, for God's sake," Rin's tone softened. "You should really admit that you like her – not to everyone, just yourself. It has to start with yourself, and you know that. Don't argue with me," Rin held up her hand as Piko opened his mouth, ready to protest. "Don't give me that crap about you not having any feelings at all for her. You didn't even care _this_ much about SeeU!"

"Okay, first of all, I never had a crush on SeeU. She was just a friend too! Stop bringing her up! And secondly…" Piko hesitated. "Of course I have feelings for Miku. She's my best friend's younger sister, and I've known her ever since we were both kids. But the feelings you brought up here definitely aren't the kind you're thinking of. I don't feel anything besides platonic affection for her. That's all, I guess," he shrugged, reaching out to his desk and picking up his card. Rin coughed, the small sound disbelieving, and he glanced back at her. "You don't have to be so sarcastic about it, you know."

"I'm sorry, I just can't deal with someone who won't admit his true feelings," she shook her head. "It's not me being pushy about it. Len can tell you like her too, and Len is probably the most obtuse person I know. I've never seen you freak out over someone else's welfare the way you do for her. Seriously, I could probably go a week without eating and you wouldn't even care. I'm right, aren't I?"

"I _would_ care! Even if it's only just a little!" he exclaimed, his hand placed on the doorknob. Rin groaned, and he could practically feel her rolling her eyes. "You can't ask me something like that. We both know you'd die without your food. But Miku…she went practically the entire day without eating and she still wanted to wait for me to finish my work. How could I not be worried about her? She's like a sister to me – I don't want anything bad to happen to her," he babbled, words gushing out.

"Look, you obviously care about her as more than just a friend. Why are you so against letting other people know? Don't tell me it's really because you're concerned about Mikuo's reaction," Rin said this so firmly that for a moment, Piko was stunned into silence. Both of them just stared at each other, Rin patiently awaiting an answer, Piko hesitant about revealing anything more to her.

"I don't know," he finally muttered. "I don't know why I'm hesitant. It's just…I've known her for so long that it's kind of weird to just admit that I feel anything romantic for her. I'm sure it's just a passing phase, and it'll die down eventually. Besides, me liking her doesn't mean that I _have_ to do anything about it," he pointed out, deciding that he might as well just tell her the truth. Rin had already figured out that he liked Miku anyway. She made it sound like it was so obvious too…

"That's true," Rin acknowledged. "So even if you see her dating someone else you'll be all right with it?" she further asked. Once more, Piko hesitated before he replied. He had to think about this one – he knew that he would not be happy to see Miku with someone else, but since he didn't want to do anything about his feelings then he had no right to be unhappy. It just felt really weird to be thinking about all this _now_ – he never actually gave this any real consideration before, his feelings just sort of lingering at the back of his mind. He wasn't really comfortable with just openly discussing them.

"I guess so," he answered reluctantly. "If she ends up dating someone else, then so be it. He'd have to be a pretty damn good guy for me to approve though," he added quickly, eliciting quiet laughter from Rin. Mikuo stirred at the sound of her voice and both of them glanced at him – the teal haired boy mumbled something incomprehensible and rolled over again, facing away from them. "Mikuo is very lax about who his sister dates, so I guess I'll have to be the gatekeeper in his place," he sighed.

"Are you sure you'll even approve of anyone?" Rin's eyes twinkled. "Well, if that's what you want, no one will stop you, Piko. But I think you really ought to make known your feelings. The poor girl is very confused, you know," she grinned. Piko frowned, thinking over Rin's words. Did that mean… "Yes, she likes you. I'm surprised you couldn't tell. Though I guess she was a lot less obvious about her feelings than you are," Rin shook her head. "Then again she doesn't know how you usually treat girls and your friends since she only sees you around Mikuo, so I suppose it's understandable that she isn't aware that you treat her differently from everyone else. Either way, you should tell her."

"I'll think about it," he muttered, still startled by this revelation. Miku was actually fond of him? He honestly never had any idea. "I think for now it'll be better to keep it a secret…" he suddenly thought of something. "Is that why she was so quiet while eating today?" he demanded. "Because I told Len that I'd never date her and I don't like her that way?" he immediately felt guilty, but he had not known at the time that Miku felt this way about him. Rin shot him a droll look, shaking her head.

"Piko, you are so _slow_ ," she rolled her eyes. "You should go and find her, I bet she's still awake. She always texts me really late at night," she paused. "Maybe you can study in her room or something, if she doesn't have a roommate. I don't think she'd mind as long as you don't disturb her. And you ought to take the chance to tell her something," she added pointedly, her blue eyes piercing him.

He threw up his hands in surrender. "I'll think about it, all right? No promises," he exhaled. "We're in our final year at university, and she has another year to go. We need to graduate before we start thinking about relationships. So I'll _think_ about it," he repeated when Rin opened her mouth, clearly ready to protest. She pursed her lips but didn't say anything more, looking intently back at Mikuo.

Piko quickly left the room before Rin could question him any further, glad that he was no longer facing such scrutiny. Glancing down at the notes in his hand, he decided that he would head to the library to study – they always opened it late during exam periods, and he definitely wasn't about to crash Miku's room just to study. His mind was reeling from all these revelations, and spending time around the girl wouldn't help him concentrate. He'd think about it after all his exams were over.

* * *

"Don't be a brat!" Mikuo yelled, running down the stairs after his sister. Miku screamed in terror, holding her brother's love letter aloft. She didn't know he was so _old-fashioned_. "Oi, that's not meant for you to read!" he lunged at her, but she danced out of the way, laughing.

" _Your eyes are blue as a sweet summer's day_ ," Miku read off the paper, ignoring Mikuo's desperate attempts to snatch the letter back. "God, Mikuo, you're so corny. Rin's going to laugh her head off when she sees this," she teased, folding the letter up and tucking it into her pocket. Her older brother glared daggers at her, giving up on retrieving his letter for now. "You know you don't have to write a poem to make Rin happy. You just have to spend some time with her! She'd like that."

"We're _busy_ , Miku," her brother sighed. Mikuo and his friends had graduated with honours last year and now was Miku's final year. During her final year she moved back home instead of living on campus, since her roommate had moved out too and she didn't want to make friends with a new person. Besides, it was her final year and she finally got a car of her own, so the trip wasn't that bad. "Rin is doing her masters and I've become a corporate slave so just finding time to call her isn't that easy anymore, let alone meeting up and stuff. And shouldn't you be working on your final project?" he asked balefully.

"There's nothing more I can do tonight, I need to wait for the other people to get back to me," Miku yawned, suddenly exhausted by the mere mention of her project. She had to liaise with an animal rights group since her project involved campaigning against animal testing, but their replies were a little slow so she was slightly worried about the pacing for her project. But she couldn't keep calling them and asking for a response every day, it would probably make them hate her even more.

Mikuo looked slightly sympathetic. "Oh well, at least you're not working yet. You have a whole semester to finish your work – meanwhile, I have to rush through the equivalent of your final year project within a week or less," he groaned, pushing his teal hair away from his eyes. "By the way, where's your boyfriend? Shouldn't he be here by now?" Mikuo added, glancing at the clock.

"You tell me. He's _your_ best friend, not mine," Miku grunted, turning away with Mikuo's sappy letter still in her pocket. Piko was late again. He was always late! All right, she understood why he was late – his workplace was all the way on the other side of town – but still, it was becoming a bad habit. He did not constantly run late when they were in school together. She knew his banking and investment job kept him really busy, and she was pretty glad that he could find time for her at all, but she wished she could see him more often, especially when she was busy with schoolwork.

Piko had brought up their feelings for each other shortly after he graduated from school. She had been pretty surprised since at that time, she was convinced that he didn't find her attractive at all and was actually considering dating other guys. But she never really bothered to step out of her social circle – she was just too comfortable among her current group of friends, and saw no need to make new ones back then – and so she never really met any new guys either. So in the end, months after Piko told Len that he had no feelings whatsoever for her, she was still single. Though she was fine with being single, since to be honest being in a relationship didn't seem to be anything particularly special.

Even now, she and Piko still behaved more like friends, or older brother-younger sister, than actual boyfriend and girlfriend. She felt slightly awkward just thinking about being…intimate with Piko. She had known him for so long that it felt really strange. Mikuo and Rin started dating a few weeks after her brother went on that weird date, and they had been together ever since. Rin never told her how they got together or why they suddenly decided to go out, but this was her brother's longest-lasting relationship so far and she was very proud of that. Mikuo and Rin didn't seem to have any trouble at all being affectionate towards each other, as demonstrated by her brother's love letter, and Miku actually wondered if she and Piko would ever get over that weird boundary the two of them had.

Meanwhile, Len was still single and ready to mingle. He once admitted to her and Piko that he was getting really iffy, watching all his friends entering relationships while he was still single as hell. But really, that was just because Len was super choosy. He wasn't hideous or anything – in fact, he was pretty damn attractive – but he had an entire checklist of traits he wanted in a girl and, honestly, Miku thought if he followed that stupid list he would never get a girlfriend. The girl he wanted most likely didn't even exist – like who could be _that_ perfect? It just didn't make any sense to her.

Len wanted a girl who was slightly shorter than him with waist-length wavy hair, green eyes and fair skin. A girl who was dainty and slim rather than athletic. He wanted her to be able to sing and play the piano, and be smart enough to finish her masters or, _even better_ , a doctorate degree. This girl also needed to have a car and come from a well-off family, and she had to like both cats and dogs and want two children, one girl and one boy. Miku rolled her eyes at the thought. Good luck to Len, having to find a girl with such specific characteristics. Miku really wanted to know if this person actually existed.

Someone knocked on the front door and Miku jolted up, rushing over to open it. Her boyfriend – it was still weird to think that – stood outside, dressed in a dark suit, his silver hair flopping over his left eye. "Hey," he smiled, leaning forward to kiss her on the cheek. She blushed a little – though Piko had switched his grunge tees and ripped jeans for suits and ties, it didn't make him look any less attractive. In fact, the suits he now had to wear for work made him look dapper, charming even. It was the main reason why she was stuttering around him now while in the past, she never did.

"Oi, Piko, you're late for the game," Mikuo's annoyed voice floated through the room. "The match is about to start! Come in," Miku stood aside and let her boyfriend into the house, closing the door as Piko took off his outer jacket, tossing it onto a nearby coat stand. She had barely turned away from the door when Piko grabbed her wrist and tugged her along with him towards the living room, where her brother was already engrossed in the soccer match showing on the telly. She rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to sigh – _boys_. She would never understand why they found soccer so interesting.

"I can tell you're bored already," Piko sounded amused as they both flopped down onto the couch, sitting next to Mikuo. Her brother barely acknowledged the two of them, his attention entirely captured by the television. "Have you had dinner?" he asked, his tone slightly sharper this time. Even now Piko still nagged at her about eating her meals regularly and not skipping any. She nodded, not wanting him to chide her for neglecting her health again, and he smiled, leaning his chin against the top of her head. His arms were wrapped around her. "That's good. Skipping meals is bad for you, you know," he reminded her. She rolled her eyes exaggeratedly, and Piko tweaked her nose.

Miku kind of wished sometimes that she and Piko could be more intimate, but she was pretty content with where they were right now too. It wouldn't do well to rush into things, and taking things slow had its own charms. She cuddled up to Piko, who was now watching the match too, and stared idly at the television screen. It was nice to just relax here and take a break from all her work, content in her boyfriend's arms. Who would have thought that just one year ago, she was wondering why Piko never seemed to like her no matter what she did?

Though at times it did annoy her, that her boyfriend was prettier than her. But she wouldn't swap Piko for anyone else, even if she had the chance to do so now. Their relationship was still young, but she couldn't help being excited for all the things that were to come. The future seemed blessed.


	7. intervention

intervention

Rin groaned. "I can't believe I'm helping you with this," she grumbled. "This had better be worth it! If you don't leave my house with Len as your boyfriend or whatever, don't talk to me ever again," she threatened, though of course Miku knew she was just kidding. She gnawed nervously on her lip, agreeing to that.

Her best friend exhaled, causing the line to crackle. "All right, I'm leaving my house now. As you know, Mum is attending some overseas work meeting, so when you go in you should be alone with Len. He'll be too nice to turn you away if you pretend your parents like, kicked you out of the house or something. You can crash in my room, but don't touch anything, okay? And remember," Rin's tone was urgent. "Len hinted before that he likes girls who make the first move. Remember that!"

"All right, all right! I got it!" she bit her lip so hard that she thought it might bleed. She was super nervous, but Rin seemed pretty confident that everything was going to work out. Well, Miku really hoped it would. The two of them had entertained the thought of setting her up on a date with Len for months, but nothing ever came out of it because firstly, Len was rarely around whenever Miku went to Rin's house, and secondly, the fact that he was two years older than them made her jittery.

Len was Rin's older brother, and he was pretty much the most gorgeous person she had ever seen. It was a miracle he was single right now. He had broken up with his girlfriend of three years just a few months ago, and that was when Miku started wondering if she now had a chance. Rin couldn't understand why anyone found her brother attractive – Len had all the sex appeal of a lamppost to her – but Miku just couldn't stop thinking about the older boy. Her minor obsession with him began when she first saw Len at Rin's house, his hair tied back into a relaxed ponytail, playing with a puppy. A friend of his went overseas for a week, so they left their dog at Len's place until they were back. Len's bright smile and sweet tone while he talked to the puppy just melted her heart. Unfortunately, back then he was attached…

Well, now he wasn't. Rin thought that her brother might have gotten over his breakup by now, but Miku honestly didn't know. Len wasn't just handsome, he was amazingly nice to everyone too, and the downside to this was that he had been hit pretty hard by his breakup. She was not too sure about the details herself, but apparently Len had been very mopey for a few weeks. Rin said he seemed more cheerful nowadays though, which was likely a good sign. Miku did not know the reason behind the breakup, and although some part of her wanted to find out more, the rest of her remained hesitant. The less she knew about Len's previous romances, the better it would be for her.

"Good," Rin declared. "I'm on my way to Teto's house now. You better make a move on Len tonight otherwise we'll have planned all this for _nothing_ ," she sighed. "And let me just tell you that if you don't do anything now, someone else will probably call dibs on him or something. Len is kind of popular in school I think?" Miku could practically hear Rin frowning. "At least he already knows who you are, so it shouldn't be too hard to flirt with him…ugh, I feel sick just talking about my _brother_ this way."

"I'm sorry," Miku mumbled, slightly ashamed about roping her best friend in to help her with this. She had tried very hard to conceal her crush from Rin, but the astute blonde figured it out the first time she saw Miku around her brother. Apparently the blush gave everything away. "I'll try my best! He may not like me…I mean, he's eighteen! I'm only sixteen. I bet he wants someone slightly older?" she questioned, uncertain. She looked out of the window, staring at the neighbourhood outside.

It was a nice, sunny afternoon. There were lots of people out and about, and soon enough she would be leaving the house to go to Rin's place as well. Rin was going to Kasane Teto's house and would spend the night there to give Miku some private time with her brother. Miku needed an excuse so that Len wouldn't kick her out at night, and she had decided to go with the 'my parents and I got into a fight so I ran away from home, let me just stay outside for one night before I go back' story. She told her parents she would be sleeping over at Rin's place tonight so that they wouldn't worry about her.

Rin snorted. "I don't know about that. Do I look like I care about what my brother wants in a girl?" Miku could imagine Rin rolling her eyes. "Just get over there and make a move on him! You've been eyeing him for almost an entire year, and it's been getting on my _nerves_. Either you grab him now or you forget about him because I swear, if I hear you talking about him _one more time_ –" Rin suddenly paused and yelled something at someone in the background. "Okay, so remember the plan. Crash my place, convince Len to let you stay the night, then do something with your private time together! There's no one in the house, so take advantage of that! Oh, but if you two end up having sex, don't tell me about it."

"Rin!" Miku spluttered, her face suddenly on fire. The thought of having sex…with Len…had never crossed her mind before Rin brought it up. "What are you saying! I would never…oh goodness," she shook her head, squeezing her eyes shut. Len's bright smile and clear blue eyes flashed through her mind and her face further reddened. "Okay, okay, I'm coming over now!" she practically yelled down the line, grabbing her packed bag and running out of her room. Rin sighed, then hung up on her.

* * *

Kagamine Len heard the doorbell ringing. He put down the ladle, frowning. He wasn't expecting anyone today, and it couldn't be Mum or Rin, they wouldn't be ringing the bell. So who could it be?

The doorbell rang again and he sighed, glancing at his pot of soup. It should be all right to leave the pot alone for a moment. Leaving the kitchen, he went to the living room, taking a look through the peephole before opening the front door. He saw a familiar girl with long teal hair standing on the doorstep, looking fidgety. He recognised her – it was Hatsune Miku, his sister's best friend. His cheeks warmed slightly. _Damn_ , because Miku was the complete opposite of Rin and she had practically no idea just how cute she was. Len always had to excuse himself whenever she came over because he didn't want her to see him blushing around her. She was just so unbelievably sweet and shy!

She was playing with the straps of her backpack, the nervousness on her face plain for all to see. He exhaled and unlocked the door, forcing himself to look as calm and rational as possible. "Oh, hey Miku," he greeted her, noticing the way her cheeks reddened at the sight of him. She was so easily flustered around boys, or at least that was what Rin casually mentioned to him once. It made Len wonder if she ever had a boyfriend before. Probably not? "Are you looking for Rin? She just went out to…Teto's house, I think? I can't remember her friend's name," he shrugged apologetically.

She looked startled, her gaze flying up to meet his. Her green eyes were wide. "Oh!" she swallowed, shuffling her feet. Her fingers tightened around her bag. "Um…can I just…go in and wait for her?" she asked timidly, looking away from his face to his shirt. Len suddenly grew aware of the fact that he was still wearing his apron. "Um…I kind of need to talk to her about something," she explained.

"Well…you could, but Rin went for a stayover, so I don't think she'll be coming home tonight," he explained gently. "It might be better if you went home and gave her a call. Do you need a lift back? I can send you home if you live far away," he smiled. Miku hastily shook her head, looking panicky.

"I can't go home! I…I argued with my parents," she blurted out, tone frantic. Len blinked. Miku? Arguing with her parents? It seemed impossible – the Hatsune Miku he had seen around and spoken to on occasion was gentle, sweet and demure. He couldn't imagine her arguing with _anyone_. "And um, I…I kind of ran away from home…" she continued fiddling with her bag straps. "So I was hoping I could just stay the night at Rin's place. I promise I'll leave by tomorrow morning!" she exclaimed.

He didn't know what to say. On one hand, Len definitely didn't want to be involved in her family problems, but on the other hand, he couldn't just make her leave. What if she ended up sleeping on a park bench and getting molested by strangers or something? He couldn't in good conscience force her to go away. And he knew that he couldn't just persuade her to return home either – he was young too, he understood that she was probably angry and upset now, and going home wouldn't solve anything for her at the moment. "Um…okay, I guess I'd better give Rin a call first and ask her about this," he invited her inside the house, and Miku hesitantly went past him, sitting primly on the couch. Len glanced at her while he took out his phone – his sister would have just sprawled out all over the seats. These two girls were so _different_.

"Hey, Rin," he greeted his sister when she picked up, sounding disgruntled. There was loud screaming in the background, and he guessed that the girl Rin was spending time with right now wasn't the quietest of people. "Your best friend Miku is here. She says she got into a fight with her parents and I think she wants to stay over at our place for the night…so what do you think? Is that all right, or should I just try and convince her to go home and settle things with her parents?" he glanced at Miku again.

"Oh, just let her crash there, she can use my room," his sister answered dismissively. "Not like Mum is home anyway. She's not staying more than one night, right?" she checked. Len confirmed that, and she sighed. "Okay, then that's all. You can go entertain her or whatever until I'm back in the morning. Bye!" and just like that, his sister cut the call. Len blinked, slipping the phone back into his pocket and eyeing the girl warily. Miku was staring back at him, her cheeks still pink, looking scared.

Was he that frightening? Len glanced at himself in the apron again. He wouldn't exactly call himself intimidating. "Uh…so Rin said it's fine, you can stay. Hope you don't mind my company instead of my sister's?" he laughed awkwardly. "I'm staying home today, so…well," he didn't know what else to say.

"Oh!" she clasped her hands together, suddenly looking relieved. "I don't mind at all! It would be worse to be alone here," she bit her lip, her smile becoming awkward. "Um…are you cooking?" she gestured at his apron. He nodded, feeling extremely self-conscious. He knew there was nothing wrong with wearing an apron or cooking, but letting her see him like this made him feel strange.

"That reminds me, I need to check on my soup!" he exclaimed, remembering his pot. He dashed off towards the kitchen and Miku followed, curious to see what he was making. She saw him stirring a pot of what she assumed to be soup, and wondered if she could do anything to help. "Oh, it's fine," Len was relieved, taking a deep breath and inhaling the scent of the soup. "Great, because this is supposed to be both my lunch and dinner. Maybe with some spaghetti…" he glanced at her, standing a little distance away from him in the kitchen. "Oh, I guess I should make more food. Do you want anything?"

"It's all right if it's a bother!" she held up her hands, shaking her head hastily. "I don't want to trouble you. I can make my own food if you give me permission to use the kitchen," she added shyly. Len made a face, thinking it would be rude to force a guest to cook their own meal. But she looked so adorable, just standing there with such an earnest look on her face, fiddling with her long teal hair. How was she only two years younger than him? He kind of wished that his sister could be more like Miku.

"Hmm, it won't be any bother at all. But instead of either one of us cooking, maybe we can just share my meal if you don't mind?" he suggested, glancing at his pot of soup. It was a pretty big pot. He had gone overboard when preparing this. "It's cream of mushroom, if you're interested. And I have some spaghetti in the cabinets somewhere, and there's frozen meatballs in the fridge," he added, grinning at her. Miku hesitated, then gave him a small nod, a grateful smile on her face.

"Thank you!" she bowed a little. Len had to look away from her, hoping his face wasn't going red. He reminded himself that he was already eighteen years old and he shouldn't be so badly affected just because there was a cute girl in his kitchen. And anyway, she was his sister's best friend, which kind of meant that he shouldn't get involved with her, right? If their relationship ever soured Rin would probably be caught in between them. Yeah, it was best not to get involved with Miku. Although he did kind of want to spend more time with her. It sounded selfish to say this, but in a way her argument with her parents had benefited _him_ …not that he wanted her to continue fighting with them!

"Do you want to help me prepare the spaghetti?" he asked when she continued lingering in the kitchen, shuffling from foot to foot. Miku nodded gratefully, apparently thankful to have something to do, and he made space for her as she bustled around the kitchen, looking for the pasta and putting it in a pot to boil. The two of them worked peacefully together, and Len thought that this was something he could get used to.

* * *

Shortly after they finished making the spaghetti and settled down to have a late lunch, there was a loud banging on the door. Miku jumped, her forkful of pasta dropping back onto the plate, and Len frowned, eyeing the door quizzically. "Oi, Len!" an unfamiliar voice shouted from outside.

"Oh," he muttered, giving her a careful look. "I'll be right back. It's a friend of mine," he grinned, then got up from the table and walked to the front door. Miku watched, rising from her seat as well and edging towards the doorway so she could watch – she felt really curious about who Len was greeting. Len opened the front door and stood aside – two other boys stepped into the house, looking around and laughing. "You really need to give me some advance warning before coming over," Len sighed audibly.

"What for?" one of the boys snorted. He had dark brown hair and chocolate eyes, a slightly cocky smile on his face. "Are you scared we'll find your secret girlfriend or something?" he joked, and Miku swallowed, ducking safely out of sight behind the doorway. Her presence here might lead to misunderstandings! Though she did want Len to notice her in _that_ way, she didn't want his friends to tease him about her presence. There was a sudden splutter, and Miku quickly looked back to see Len playfully punching the guy in the stomach. He fell back in exaggerated pain, groaning.

"Stop that, Meito," the other boy sighed. He had silky pink hair and light blue eyes, and he looked like he was extremely smart. Miku could feel the intelligence radiating off him in waves. She bet he was the best student in the cohort or something. "We all know Len is the most single person among all of us, so rubbing it in his face just annoys him. And stop groaning, you're not really hurt."

Meito stopped grumbling and got up from the couch, rubbing his stomach. "Well, you sure have a mean left hook, Len," he joked. Len just rolled his eyes, then glanced quickly in the direction of the kitchen. Miku hastily ducked behind the doorway again, her heart beating fast. Should she make her presence known to the other two boys, or should she just hide in the kitchen until they were gone?

"Len, do you have any food?" the voice of the other boy, whose name she still did not know, now sounded disgruntled. "This idiot here wanted to come over to play that new game you bought last week, but we forgot to have lunch so now we're starving," his voice was getting closer and closer. Miku panicked, instinctively hiding underneath the kitchen table and hoping no one would see her. Her heart was racing in her chest. "Let me just pop inside and see what you're cooking this time –"

"No, don't!" but it was too late, and she saw a pair of feet walking in. It definitely wasn't Len because he hadn't been wearing long pants when she first saw him. The new guy was followed by Len, who had fallen silent upon realising that she wasn't around in the kitchen. Miku hoped that no one would notice her hiding beneath the kitchen table. "Uh…I made spaghetti and mushroom soup for lunch," he finally spoke again, walking over to the table. Miku held her breath and stayed still.

"Nice, I love soup," the other guy responded enthusiastically. A third pair of feet walked in, and she assumed they belonged to Meito. "Meito, you want to help Len finish off his excess food?" his voice sounded mischievous now. "Eh, but why is there another bowl on the table…? Len, do you have guests?"

"No! Of course not!" Len laughed awkwardly. "I just thought I'd get hungry again so I prepared a second serving for myself first. Why would I have any guests? I don't even have any friends besides you lot," he groused. Meito laughed, clapping Len on the back. Miku quite liked the sound of his laugh – it was rich and chocolatey, just like his warm brown eyes. It was a very infectious kind of laugh.

"Oh, please. We all know that half the girls in our school adore you. Ever since you broke up with Kaiko they've been eyeing you like they're tigers and you're a fresh slab of meat. Don't you agree, Luki?" Meito asked. Miku nodded to herself – now she knew that the final guy was called Luki. The name reminded her of Megurine Luka, who was one year her junior in school and in the same choir section as her. Luka was a lovely girl, polite and friendly. In fact, this Luki guy _did_ kind of look like her…

"God, forget it," Len groaned. "Let's not talk about that. I particularly enjoy being single right now," Miku's heart fell slightly at those words, but she continued to listen nevertheless. "I'm over Kaiko but not so much that I could just start dating people again. Besides, being single feels great," he mused. "I don't need to keep paying for anniversaries and dates and stuff, and I can head out and go drinking or watch sports whenever I want. I feel so _free_ ," Len chuckled. Miku bit her lip, getting nervous.

If this was how Len felt, then would her and Rin's plan succeed? If he wasn't even interested in dating at the moment, she knew she'd have no chance whatsoever. Len had been friendly to her all day but he never showed any sign that he liked her that way, which was depressing…but she had promised Rin that she would do something about her situation so she would definitely see this through.

Thankfully, it appeared that Len still remembered her presence because after his two friends finally finished all the food, he forced them to leave his house, saying he would play video games with them some other day and that he was really _dead_ tired, so he'd appreciate it if they left now. Meito and Luki still seemed pretty suspicious of Len's urgent desire to get rid of them, but in the end they left without too much fuss and Miku could clamber out from underneath the table, stretching her stiff body.

"Oh, you were underneath the kitchen table all along!" Len jumped as she climbed out, gaping at her. "I thought you managed to sneak up to Rin's room or something…wait, so you heard everything we were saying?" he looked sharply at her. She briefly considered shaking her head, but decided it would be better to just tell the truth and gave him a small nod. Len sighed. "Oh well, at least we didn't say anything too embarrassing," his blue eyes twinkled. "But give me some warning next time!"

"Next time?" she echoed, confused. So he expected her to hide underneath a kitchen table again? Len appeared to notice his slipup and hastily shook his head, now looking slightly pained. Miku glanced at the table and saw that all the soup and spaghetti had been eaten. Her stomach growled.

"I meant…um…well, if something similar ever happens again just tell me you're hiding nearby," he explained awkwardly. "We can make more food if you want. Sorry, that wasn't supposed to happen," he apologised, clearing the plates off the table and putting them in the sink. Miku did the same with the bowls, hovering just a little distance away from Len. There was a smile on her face.

"It's all right! I liked listening to them. You all sound like great friends!" she chirruped, turning the tap so that she could begin washing the dishes. Len smiled too, looking almost relieved. "How long have you all known each other for?" she asked, just curious about his friends. He paused to think.

"It's been a really long time, actually," he answered. "I can't exactly remember anymore, but we've all been friends since…since we were young. Rin knows them pretty well too. Pity she isn't here," he sighed, missing the quick flash of guilt that crossed Miku's face. She still felt bad about making Rin stay out of her house for one entire night, though honestly that had been Rin's idea. "I'm glad you don't think they're weird. Rin always says that we're all weird, that's why we hang out together," he grinned. She gulped. He had such a charming smile. Too bad he wasn't looking for a girlfriend…

"I think you guys are cute together," she answered honestly. Len, who had poured himself a glass of water and was drinking from it as she spoke, suddenly spluttered, choking on his drink. Miku hastily went over to him, thumping him on the back, and Len inhaled, holding out his hand. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked, nervous. Len took in a few deep breaths, eyes watering slightly, and put the glass back on the countertop, still coughing a little. He shook his head.

"No, you didn't say anything wrong. That just took me by surprise," he smacked his chest, coughing again. "Cute isn't the word I'd use to describe a group of eighteen-year-old guys, you know," his smile was full of amusement. "Honestly, Miku, you're a whole lot cuter than them. I mean it."

Her face flamed. "Oh, um…thank you?" the upward lilt of her voice made it sound more like a question than a statement. Len just chuckled and patted her on the head, and she found herself wondering if Len actually saw her as a second sister…she fidgeted while the older boy left the counter, checking the cabinets to see if there was any more food for them to eat. "Um, I heard you all talking about a girl named Kaiko…" she began hesitantly, feeling terribly curious. "Is she your ex?"

Len had stilled at the sound of the name, and now he turned to face her, suddenly looking very serious. She figured she had brought up something sensitive. "Yeah, she is. We broke up a few months back. I guess Rin might have told you about it," his words sounded forced. "She was seeing some other guy behind my back, so…well, that's all, I guess," he shrugged, staring at the floor. Miku swallowed, not knowing what to say, and finally he glanced back up at her. "I'm over it now, I really am. Just that I'd rather not talk about it right now," he sounded apologetic, his expression sad.

She flapped her hands awkwardly. "Um, um, it's okay!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry for asking. Um, let's just find some food?" she hated herself for the way she made the atmosphere so awkward. Between her and Rin, Rin was the talkative one who never had trouble chatting with new people, while she struggled to find even a single topic to discuss with strangers. Len nodded, relieved, and the search continued.

"Guess we'll just have to order a pizza, they ate the last of my food," Len sighed as he closed the final cabinet, shaking his head. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked. She quietly asked if they could have a Hawaiian pizza, and Len stared at her for a moment before he burst out laughing. "Wow, you actually requested something! I didn't think you would ever do such a thing," he teased, reaching out to ruffle her hair before he pulled out his phone and called the nearby pizza place. She blushed.

Len reacted pretty positively when she voiced out her wants. It reminded her of what Rin said, that Len liked girls who were direct and made the first move. Maybe she ought to keep this up?

* * *

"No, you _go into_ his room and get into bed with him," Rin was hissing at her over the phone. Miku's face was, by now, a spectacular shade of red. She could see her reflection in Rin's mirror. "No buts! Do it! Len doesn't ever lock his room door. It's a habit he never dropped, so make use of that!"

"Rin, I _can't_ do that," she protested, shaking her head furiously as she gripped the phone. "It's so embarrassing! And weird! And it'd be like sexual harassment!" she blurted out, squeezing her eyes shut. Rin let out an irritated sigh, her voice crackling through the line. There was loud music playing in the background now, and Miku wistfully thought that Teto's house seemed to be really fun.

"Okay, let me tell you a bedtime story. So when I was little, whenever I had nightmares about being abandoned – since, you know, Mum and Dad divorced like a few years after I was born – I would go to Len's room and he would let me share his bed so I wouldn't freak out again. That's why it's a habit for him to leave the door unlocked, even when I sneak in now to like, pour water on his face in the middle of the night or whatever. So just do the same thing! Tell him you had like, a bad dream!" Rin's voice was getting louder and louder, as it was prone to doing whenever she became agitated.

Miku winced. "But that feels like lying," her voice was small. Rin sighed again, more exaggeratedly than the first time, and Miku had to hold the phone away from her ear. She glanced around Rin's room – it was nice and homely, decorated with a pastel orange wallpaper and covered with fluffy rugs and blankets. It was definitely more comfortable than her own room. She was jealous.

"Look, do you want Len as your boyfriend or _not_?" she said fiercely. "If you want it, you've got to be forward. He was probably lying to Luki and Meito about not wanting to find another girl. He's always lying to them because they'd keep trying to match him up with random girls and he's not okay with that. I'm not even asking you to take his clothes off! Just sneak into his room, get into his bed and be all nice and snuggly. Come on, he's _bound_ to ask you out after that," Rin sounded extremely smug.

"Rin…I don't think it's a good idea," she whispered. She was keeping her voice low in case Len was able to hear her from outside. There was silence on the other end for a while, and Miku worried that she had said something to offend her best friend. Rin couldn't stand being told that she was wrong.

"Fine, do whatever you want! But if nothing happens at the end of today, don't come crying to me," she finally warned Miku. Miku sighed, feeling dejected already. "Just remember, Len likes forward girls. Didn't you say you observed that for yourself too? You can't get more forward than what I suggested," and she was nudging the topic back to her grand plan again. Miku rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Okay, fine," she muttered. "I'll give it a shot. And if it doesn't work out, I guess I'll just have to dig a hole in the ground and hide there for the next fifty years," she said, semi-seriously. Rin just laughed and wished her good luck before she hung up, and Miku let her phone rest on her lap, wondering if this seriously weird idea Rin suggested would work. Rin should know her brother best, that was true…

It seemed like such a gross intrusion of personal space. She was willing to give it a shot though, if Len's door really wasn't locked tonight. If it was then she'd just forget about it and pretend that nothing had ever happened. She was actually pretty content to just look at Len from afar, after all. He was two years her senior, and it was difficult to imagine him actually ever liking her back.

Miku stayed in Rin's room the entire day, only leaving when night came. She didn't know what Len was doing, but he definitely didn't leave the house nor did he come to talk to her. It was only around midnight when Len finally knocked on the door and told her he was going to sleep, and if she needed anything she could just let him know, he'd try to arrange something if possible. His room was right opposite Rin's. She lay on the bed, so nervous that she couldn't sleep. Her hands and feet were freezing cold, the way they usually became when she was extremely frightened. Was she really going to do this?

She waited a while, unsure how long it would take before Len actually fell asleep. When it was two in the morning she felt confident that Len was sleeping by now, so she quietly got up from the bed and snuck over to his room, testing the door to see if it was locked. To her utter surprise, the door really opened and she was looking into Len's room, which was completely dark. She could just barely make out the outline of his window, which was covered by black drapes. She squinted and saw his bed, on which he was lying. There was no small square of light, meaning he wasn't using his phone and he was really, truly asleep. Miku gulped again, terrified now. She felt the sudden urge to just run away.

But Rin would be so mad if she didn't do anything. She could lie about it, but she was certain Rin would find a way to ask her brother if Miku really snuck inside his room, and if Rin found out she lied Miku would probably die a slow death. So she sucked it up and forced herself to step closer, keeping her footsteps light and quiet. She managed to get to his bed without waking him up – Len was facing away from her, turned towards the wall, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically. It was very peaceful.

She shook herself out of her trance. She had to do something now – but what? To really just get into bed with him seemed…seemed too direct. She couldn't possibly do that. But if she just woke him up to talk to him she bet he would be grumpy, which was perfectly understandable. She'd be grumpy too if someone woke her up at two in the morning. In the end, she settled for gingerly sitting on his mattress.

Len didn't stir, much to her relief. She peered over at him and studied his profile, which she could just barely see in the dim light of the room. His eyes were closed, and he seemed well and truly asleep. She sighed quietly, looking around the room once more. She was here, but she had no idea what to do now. She couldn't just lie next to him and hug him. She absolutely refused to do such a thing.

Maybe she ought to just go back into her room. At least she could honestly tell Rin that she did go inside Len's room. But just as she prepared to get up, Len rolled over and his arm fell across her lap, making her freeze. Len was still peacefully sleeping, but Miku was beginning to hyperventilate, having no idea at all what to do now. If she picked up his arm and moved it away, would he wake up? Or if she stood up and let his arm slide off…she didn't know whether Len was a light or heavy sleeper, and she now regretted not asking Rin earlier. She stayed there, unmoving, hoping he would take his arm off soon.

Instead, Len rolled again so that he was facing her now, and his other hand landed on her thigh as well. She almost cried out in surprise, but bit her tongue just in time, muffling the sound. Her face was beginning to heat up. He was so close to her – _so close_ – and she couldn't do anything. God, this was mortifying. She never should have let Rin bully her into following her idea. If she got up quickly and ran out of the room, maybe she could hide from the embarrassment that would definitely follow?

"Miku?" a groggy voice mumbled. She thought she died. Len had woken up! She glanced nervously down at the blond haired boy, but to her surprise his eyes were still closed. Was he talking in his sleep? "So cute…" he breathed, shaking his hand as though he was ruffling her hair. But his hand was actually on her thigh, and it was now dangerously close to the hem of her skirt. She bit her lip, trying hard not to make any sound. "Why are you so cute?" he groaned, and suddenly his eyes snapped open.

Her face flooded with heat. Len lay on the bed, looking both shocked and disoriented, and for a while they just stared at each other, his hands still on her lap. She was opening and closing her mouth, and was fairly certain that she now resembled a fish. "Am I dreaming?" he slurred, the first to break the silence. She quickly nodded, and a smile formed on his face. "What a nice dream," he breathed, and before she knew it he pulled her towards him, hugging her tightly. She blinked.

"Len…" she mumbled, unsure if she should try to break free. Her head was nestled against the hollow of his throat. She could feel his warmth and hear his heart beating. It was nice, but she also knew that this was kind of…well, wrong. "Um, could you let go of me?" she asked hesitantly.

"No," he sulked like a child. "You're too cute. If I let you go someone else will take you away from me. Like…like Meito," he was rambling now. "Meito likes cute girls…I don't want him to take you away!" his grip on her tightened, if that was even possible. She felt like she was getting crushed.

"I won't leave!" she promised. He stilled at that, then suddenly he withdrew from her, frowning. His blue eyes were wide, and she met his gaze, swallowing. There was dawning comprehension on his face, and she worried that she had said something wrong. Len was looking more and more shocked.

"This isn't a dream, is it?" he asked. She didn't say anything, remaining resolutely silent. "Oh God," he moaned, letting go of her and shaking his head. "I am _so_ sorry. You didn't hear anything I said – wait, what are you doing in my room?" he looked up again, frowning at her. She had no idea what to say to get herself out of this situation. "Did you need something? Again, I'm so sorry about what I did to you just now," he yawned, rubbing his eyes and running his fingers through his messy hair.

"I…I don't really mind," she whispered. Len stiffened. "Um…I liked it. When you hugged me," she ducked her head so that she wouldn't have to meet his stare. "I like you, Len! But I know you're not looking for a girlfriend right now, so I'll just take my leave," she hastily got up from the bed, ready to die from mortification. She would never be able to look Len in the eye again after tonight.

But he grabbed her wrist before she could run away, turning her around to face him once more. "You do?" his voice sounded strange. "Sit here," he pulled her back to the mattress and she sat, feeling uncomfortable. He stared intently at her. "Could you say that again?" he requested. "You know, the part where you said that you like me," he added. He seemed to be very serious about it.

Her face flamed. "I…I like you, Len," she repeated, wishing a hole could just come and swallow her up right now. The older boy continued to stare at her as though her words hadn't registered, and she waved her hand in front of his face, wondering if he was all right. "Len? Are you okay –"

And suddenly she was in his arms again, and he was hugging her tightly, like he didn't want to let go. She gasped. "You're so damn cute," he mumbled. "I can't stand it. I wanted to ask you out since a month ago but I was afraid it was just a rebound from Kaiko, so I was waiting to see if my feelings for you were genuine. But hearing you say that…it makes me really happy," he pulled back a little, smiling at her. "And yeah, I don't want Meito to see you because he'd just steal you away from me. It's kind of embarrassing, but…I guess dreams are where people are the most honest, hmm?"

Miku blinked. "Wait, so does that…does that mean…" she stuttered, unable to comprehend the situation. Len laughed, running his fingers through her hair before he leant down to her and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead. Her mind went completely blank and she just sat there, unable to say a word.

"I like you too," he whispered. "I bet Rin put you up to this…" he cupped her cheek, meeting her gaze intently. Then he smiled. "But I don't care. I'm glad you came to my room. If you didn't, I'd still be waiting, wondering if it's okay to get into another relationship so soon," he kissed her again, this time on the cheek. She still couldn't think. "We may not know each other super well, at least not like how Rin knows you, or Luki and Meito know me. But isn't that the fun part of any relationship? Getting to know each other?" his voice was humorous. "You're cute, but I know there's a lot more to you too, and I want to know more. I want to know everything about you," his words were earnest.

This was very intense. Her brain was not functioning. "I…um, yeah, sure," she stammered, wondering how things had suddenly turned out this way. Maybe she was the one who was dreaming right now. Len laughed, holding her close for a moment longer before he finally let go of her.

"And now you need to go back to Rin's room," he nudged her softly, and she rose from the mattress, head still spinning. "Tomorrow morning I'll send you home; I hope that you and your parents could settle your differences. It's not good to run away from home, you know," now he sounded like the concerned older brother, but she guessed he would probably always sound that way to some degree. He was older than her, after all. "Your parents will definitely be worried about you."

"Actually…uh, I lied, we didn't have any quarrel at all," she admitted, looking down and shuffling her feet. Len paused, and she cringed, hoping he wouldn't scold her or anything. Instead, he just shook his head and sighed, reaching up to stroke her hair again. This was really, _really_ embarrassing.

"Rin," he muttered. "She's a terrible influence. Don't listen to her. Was this entire setup her idea?" he demanded. She shook her head quickly – she had wanted to take part in this plan too, she just didn't know what she ought to do. Rin may have been the mastermind but she was the willing accomplice.

"I, um, I went along with our plan because…ah, I just really wanted to get your attention. She suggested that I sleep over at your house when she isn't around and I said okay," she scratched her head. "I'm sorry! Don't be mad at Rin! It's not her fault!" she clenched the fabric of her skirt, finding comfort in the familiar cotton material. "She's a really good friend…I'm glad to have her," she added.

"I'm not _mad_ at her. But I'll definitely be talking to her when she's back," Len didn't sound irritated, just a little tired. She hoped Rin would be all right. Miku would have lied to protect Rin, but she _couldn't_ lie. She felt so terrible about lying that whenever she tried, the whole room could tell. Her voice would shake, and sometimes she couldn't even get the words out. It just made her feel super guilty. Rin said that lying was her one weakness. "All right, then just go back, I'll drive you home tomorrow. Don't do anything like this again," he added, patting her shoulder. "I'm glad you did, but next time I may not be so forgiving," his words were filled with good humour, but she nodded anyway. This ploy had made her uncomfortable enough – she didn't intend to repeat it.

"Good night, Len!" she blurted out, leaning down to kiss him on the cheek before she turned around and fled from the room, leaving the blond boy stunned on the bed, his fingers reaching up to where her lips had touched. A faint smile curved his lips. Man, that girl was just insanely adorable.

* * *

 **A/N** : _I feel like this could be continued? I might continue it in another chapter. I'll see._


	8. hey kitty kitty

hey kitty kitty

Miku sat on her couch, staring at her guest. The black cat stared back at her, the small bell on its collar ringing every time it moved. They had been watching each other for the past five minutes.

She had no idea what to do with this cat. It obviously belonged to someone else, but she couldn't figure out who owned the cat. She took it to the vet and everything, hoping that maybe there was some microchip somewhere they could use to contact the original owner, but there was nothing. The vet had offered to take the cat off her hands but it seemed reluctant to leave her side, so she said that she would just keep the cat until the owner came for it. It had to happen one day, right?

The posters she put up around the neighbourhood and the online notices should attract some attention, at least. She sighed. "How did I end up with you, huh?" she asked, reaching out to scratch the cat between its ears. The cat purred, its golden eyes narrowing slightly as she stroked its glossy sleek fur. Miku had never looked after an animal before, but she was trying her very best.

The collar stated that the cat's name was Rei, and whenever Miku called that name the cat would come running over so at least she knew she could get it to respond to her. One day she just opened her door and the cat was sitting outside with its tail wrapped around its paws, looking up at her and meowing piteously. She couldn't just leave it outside in the cold so she took it in, and the cat had been with her for the past three days and counting. She was beginning to get very attached to it.

But eventually someone would come and collect the cat, she knew. It was a beautiful cat, and since it was collared it must belong to someone. Rei's owner was probably worried sick. "I'd love to keep you," she sighed as the cat jumped across the couch, curling up on her lap and purring, "but I'm going to have to give you up when your real owner comes along. Are you going to miss me too, Rei?" she asked, peering closely at her new friend. The cat turned its head towards her, meowed once, then closed its lovely eyes. It really had gorgeous eyes for a cat. They seemed almost…well, human.

She took the meow to be a 'yes', or at least hoped that was what it meant. "I'll miss you when you're gone," she whispered, holding the cat up and pressing a kiss to the top of its head, ignoring the cat fur that got into her mouth as a result of that. The cat meowed, more furiously this time, and squirmed out of her grip. She laughed as Rei jumped down from her lap, landing gracefully on its paws, and turned to give her an almost affronted look. "Don't be so uptight!" she teased the cat.

Miku could swear that the cat turned up its nose at her before it trotted off, probably looking for something else to entertain itself with. She smiled, shaking her head. Rei did not know this, but its arrival did more for her than anyone might believe. When Miku opened the door to find Rei on her doorstep, she had actually been getting ready to commit suicide. She was just so sick of everything in her life – her boyfriend cheating on her, her schoolwork failing miserably, her parents' expectations of her, her twofaced friends calling her a bitch behind her back – everything was just falling apart.

But the cat had saved her. She couldn't just leave it alone – she was depressed enough, she didn't want another creature to feel anything like the way she did – and she took it in, telling herself that she would just look after it until its owner came to find it, and then she would get on with killing herself. But Rei had yet to be claimed by anyone, and the more time she spent with the cat, the more she felt her spirits lifting. Rei just seemed to…well, understand. When she confided in the cat about her problems she could practically feel it thinking over her words. Maybe she was just delusional, but it seemed as though the animal actually cared about her. And she was grateful.

Rei was a friend. She now had someone to talk to, someone warm who would snuggle up to her when she returned home from school, exhausted and sick of it all. Someone who could tell without words when she was upset, and would just curl up around her and meow until she was smiling again. The cat entertained her to no end with its ridiculous antics – the other day she had used a laser pointer to play with it, and it got so angry about being unable to catch the red dot that she couldn't stop laughing. The cat probably did not know that it had saved her, but it did, and…well, she loved Rei.

* * *

Rei lay with his head on his paws, fidgeting slightly. He hated this shape, but he was pretty much cursed to stick in this form until…well, until that damn sorceress decided that he had suffered enough, really. And who knew when that would be? He exhaled, lolling around listlessly.

His new owner, Hatsune Miku, was busy with her day. He was worried about her. Over the past two weeks they had developed quite a bond – from the moment she let him into her house until today, she had shown him immense amounts of love and care, and he appreciated that. He wanted to protect her since she was kind to him, and he could tell that deep in her heart, her sadness threatened to overwhelm her. But since he was stuck in this stupid animal form, the only thing he could do was meow until she smiled again. If only he was able to talk! But cats didn't have the right vocal chords.

Miku obviously had never kept cats before. She only recently found out that he was male, and that was because she brought him to the vet – he had been coughing up a lot of hairballs lately, which concerned her. But that was really because Rei couldn't stop licking himself and getting fur stuck in his throat. He had always been quite conscientious about his appearance. Anyway, after Miku knew that her cat was male instead of female, she stopped changing in front of him. Which was good.

Rei felt super awkward when his mistress changed in front of him. Because she lived alone in her apartment, she sometimes walked around in nothing but her underwear too and that made him feel very strange. He was in the body of a cat, but he was still male and he certainly didn't _think_ like a cat. And Miku was very pretty, at least to him. He would never understand why her asshole boyfriend wanted to cheat on her. If Rei was in his normal form he would have gone straight after her. But no, he was now a cat. And it would be weird if Miku had a romantic relationship with her pet cat.

Crabbily, he thought again about that stupid sorceress. How was he supposed to know that she really was a magician? Of course he thought she was pretending! Who believed in real magic in this day and age? And well, perhaps it had been wrong to sneak into her room after her show, but he was so curious about her strangely realistic tricks that he couldn't help himself – then she caught him, and cursed him to become a cat until she was satisfied he had learnt his lesson. Why a cat? She liked cats, simple as that. It was ridiculous. He had been stuck as a cat for the past two months.

The sorceress had created an illusory copy of him to attend school and stay at home until he could assume his rightful position once more. How nice of her. Apparently his clone would even fuse with him when he changed back and he would obtain the memories of both his time as a cat and his clone's memories as well. The sorceress told him to treat it as a learning experience. Yeah, sure.

Rei couldn't deny that she was a pretty nice woman, overall. If he was in her place he might not have let a trespasser off so easily. But it was still pretty damn annoying, not knowing when he would return to his human form. And when, too? Would it be in public, in the middle of the day? Would he be wearing clothes when he changed back or would he be stark naked, like he was in his cat form? This was frustrating. But at least Miku was a very nice owner. He hoped she would return soon.

Miku was out at the moment, working her part-time retail job in a department store nearby. Miku received a monthly allowance from her parents and supplemented it through her salary. She rented a small apartment near her university, and was clearly under a lot of stress. Her parents expected a great deal from her, wanting to see at least an A minus on everything she did, so she pushed herself very hard in her studies. She was not very well-off, so her parents pushed her for her own sake. She understood that, which was why she held no grudges against her parents, but the pressure was starting to make her crack. It was difficult to balance studies, work and personal time. And her social life was going up in flames.

Her ex-boyfriend, whom Miku never mentioned by name, was a jerk who cheated on her with some other girl because Miku did not want to sleep with him. She was against premarital sex, thinking that it was better to focus on studies now, and her boyfriend obviously disagreed. So they broke up with each other, which badly affected Miku since apparently she had a crush on him for the longest time and she was extremely upset when the relationship fell apart. On top of that, she found out that her two best friends actually disliked her and always tried to leave her out of their group outings. They found her embarrassing because she was poorer than them, and could not afford to go to many of the places they frequented or wear the same stylish clothes they owned. It all made Rei very angry.

Honestly, Miku shared many of his ideals. He did not want to rush into sex either, believing that sex should take place after marriage. And while his family was much better off than Miku's – he could not deny this – he greatly admired how prudent and practical she was. If only he could manage his own spending the same way! He wasn't exactly a spendthrift but he did buy stupid things at times, which didn't seem like something Miku would ever do. And what made her concern for him so touching was the fact that she took him in despite her financial situation. Rei knew that looking after a pet was not cheap. She could have left him outside her house, but she didn't. In fact, she looked after him, she spent money on a vet, she bought him good cat food. She was the best mistress ever.

Just then the door opened and Miku came back in, looking exhausted. Rei leapt to his feet and ran over to her, greeting her with a loud yowl. Miku jumped. "Oh dear, is something wrong?" she asked, reaching down to scratch him between the ears. Rei would have smirked if he could smirk. "You must be hungry, poor thing. I'll get changed and feed you right away. Wait a sec, Rei!" she put her bag on the couch and turned into her room, changing out of her uniform. He rolled over, staring up at the ceiling. Well, this was a very comfortable life. He'd enjoy it more if he wasn't a damned cat.

* * *

"Oi, you change me back right now!" Rei yelled, shaking his fist at the sorceress. The girl laughed and shook her head, blue eyes dancing with humour. Rei huffed and folded his arms, glaring at her.

"You like Miku, don't you?" the girl tilted her head, staring quizzically at him. Rei felt his face burn at the question. How did she know? "Oh, you're a very easy person to read," she answered matter-of-factly, as though his question was written in marker across his forehead. "Even as a cat. But there's nothing wrong with that. Miku is a delightful girl! She's a friend of mine, you know. I mean, _she_ doesn't know since this magic thing isn't something I show off in school, only when I'm hired to perform. And even then I always perform in my other persona, you know, so like she doesn't –"

"Please continue your story," Rei interrupted, knowing that when the sorceress began to ramble she wouldn't stop for a while. The girl cleared her throat, placing her hands on her hips and rolling her eyes. Rei would have enjoyed her company a lot more if she wasn't the one who had cursed him.

"Okay, fine. So basically Miku is a friend of sorts – she's helped me out a few times in school, but we don't really talk a lot because she used to be sandwiched between those two obnoxious brats she called her best friends…and I want to return the favour. And the best way is obviously to give her a cat!"

Rei pointed at himself. "I am not a cat," he answered bluntly. "I am a _human being_ which you _cursed_ to become a cat! And I know once I wake up from this stupid dream I'll be a cat again!" he fumed. But the girl raised a finger, her blue eyes sparkling. Rei suddenly felt extremely apprehensive.

"No, no, you won't!" she cried out. "You see, while I don't intend to change you back into a human yet, I decided I will temporarily restrict the spell – in other words, at night you will turn back into your human form, and you'll become a cat in the day!" she beamed. "Isn't that a wonderful idea? Now you can make your feelings to Miku known! Isn't that the best thing ever?" she squealed.

Rei did not share her enthusiasm. "Listen up you crazy witch, that idea _sucks_. How the hell am I going to explain to Miku that _I'm_ her pet cat? She'll freak out! No one will believe me – she'll just think that I'm some thief who broke into her house or something! And secondly, isn't it going to be really weird if her pet cat starts chasing her that way?" he blushed. "I don't think she's even looking for a boyfriend or anything right now after her ex cheated on her," he admitted. The girl sighed.

"So it's up to you to mend her broken heart!" she explained. "Miku carries a deep sadness within her. I'm sure that you can sense that even without me saying anything," she paused, waiting for Rei to agree. He nodded. "Your mission is to erase that sadness completely! Ever since you entered her life as a kitty, she became a lot happier. She was a complete wreck just a few days before you arrived, you know. She was like a zombie around campus. I couldn't just stand back and do nothing."

"So you picked an innocent stranger – meaning _me_ , by the way – and turned me into a cat so that I can comfort your friend," Rei deadpanned. The girl giggled and shot him two thumbs ups. "What kind of stupid idea is that?" Rei exploded, throwing his hands up into the air. "If I didn't like Miku your entire plan would have just gone up in flames! Did you even think this entire thing through?"

"Yeah, I did! That's why I pushed you onto the streets before I directed you to Miku's house so that you'll be touched by her concern for you," the girl replied cheerfully. Rei wanted to throttle her. "Anyway, stop complaining! You've wanted to be human again for ages, so I'm just granting your wish – partially. Good luck with Miku!" she grinned at him and snapped her fingers, disappearing.

Rei wanted to scream and tell her to get her ass back here, but the next thing he knew he was waking up on the wooden floor – thankfully clothed in his old grey hoodie and black jeans – and amazingly, he really was human again. At least the sorceress wasn't lying about that one. "Oh wow, I'm really back to normal!" he looked down at his hands, muttering to himself. He heard a gasp, and at once his head shot up, looking in the direction of the sound. Miku stood there, eyes wide.

So began the process of explaining. It took a long time, a couple of hours at least, and half a bottle of wine, but then Miku finally believed him and shakily prepared a guest room for him to stay in. And she told him to stop barging into her room when she was changing, even while in his cat form.

* * *

Somehow, Rei managed to convince her to go on a date with him. Her cat – no, her date – grinned at her as they walked next to each other back towards her apartment. She felt her cheeks heat up.

His name was Kagene Rei, and he had been cursed by a sorceress to take the form of a cat, though now he could turn back into his human form once the sun set. He looked like he was her age, most likely in his early twenties, and he was _really_ cute. No wonder he was such a handsome cat. Rei was really good-looking, with his inky black hair and the same golden eyes he possessed as a cat. They were easily the most striking thing about him. If she wasn't still reeling from the aftermath of her breakup, she would have gladly become his girlfriend. Now, she didn't mind giving dating a try but she was still extremely hesitant about entering an actual relationship. Especially not with her cat.

What would happen when the curse on Rei was finally lifted? She was sure he had a family of his own, meaning there would be no more cat greeting her when she returned home, and no meowing to keep her company when she was unable to sleep or too stressed from work. Rei said that he didn't mind staying with her if _she_ wanted him to, but she wasn't too sure about that either. It would be really weird to have a guy staying in her house, right? And…well, no matter what, he was her pet!

It was actually easier confiding in human Rei than cat Rei though, she discovered. Though the cat had given her the sense that it could understand her, she _knew_ human Rei could understand everything she was saying perfectly clearly. She even opened up to him about wanting to kill herself on the day she met him, and he stared back at her with shock in his expressive eyes, pulling her into a hug shortly afterwards. She let him hug her, feeling strangely safe in his embrace. Though she barely knew Rei, his company as a cat had been a constant around her, and he was…familiar to her.

Miku wondered about the identity of the sorceress who cursed Rei. She seemed, from what Rei told her, to be a pretty nice person actually. And the sorceress was apparently someone from school…but Miku couldn't figure out who it might be. Perhaps Rei would be able to identify her if he went to school with her, but he was resolute about not leaving the house while he was in his cat form, so she didn't want to force him either. She was actually worried about slowly developing feelings for her cat…

It wasn't hard. Rei was very sweet and thoughtful. She learnt a lot about him too – he attended the same university at her but he rarely went for lectures, which explained why she never saw him around before. He was a little lazy but he worked hard for the things that mattered, and he cared greatly about the people in his life. She caught his gaze lingering on her when he mentioned that last part.

"You like me, Rei?" she asked, watching the moon through the window. They were lying on her couch together, curled up in the small space. Rei was taller than her so he often lay on the outside part, not touching her unless she said it was all right to do so. He was looking through the window too, wistful.

"Yeah," he answered without turning his head. "I don't really know if it's just because you took care of me when I was a cat and really hungry, plus the fact that you looked after me despite your financial situation. But I think you're a really sweet and caring person and if I were fully human again, I wouldn't hesitate at all about going after you," he smiled peacefully. Miku blinked, gazing at his dark hair and his closed eyes, the gentle curve of his lips. It was odd to think that her pet – who turned out to be such a gorgeous guy – might grow romantic feelings for her. Did other pet owners experience this?

Rei peeked at Miku from underneath his lowered eyelids. She was gnawing on her lip, clearly thinking about something. Miku seemed to be getting happier nowadays. He liked to think that it was due to his presence, though he knew there were other factors too – she had finally started getting her life together, cutting off her ex and her toxic friends and throwing herself into more school activities. It made her even busier than before, but at least she was smiling more now.

He didn't feel awkward at all while telling her about his feelings. Normally he'd be quite shy about admitting his attraction to anyone, but he had lived with Miku for so long that it didn't seem like there was anything left for him to feel awkward about. "Even after I'm turned back into a human I'll still come and visit you all the time," he promised. "My family won't mind if I move out of the house. In fact I think my parents will be glad that I finally learnt how to be more independent," he snorted.

She shook her head. "It's not that I'm worried about," she sighed, lifting her gaze to meet his. His breath caught. She was really pretty. As a cat he did notice that his mistress was a lovely girl, but it wasn't the same as looking at her while he was human. She was even more beautiful now. Her teal hair fell in loose waves down her back, and her fair skin glowed softly under the warm lights. Her green eyes, serene and thoughtful, captivated him. "It's just…I'm going to miss having a cat around," she sighed again. "Even though I know you're not really a cat. The past few months just made me feel like I had a friend, you know? And you'll be gone…"

"Hey, hey," he touched her shoulder gently, turning her around to face him. Her eyes widened. "I won't be going anywhere. I'm still Rei – I'm still your pet cat," he laughed. "Pretend I'm a cat who learnt how to talk," his eyes twinkled. "As a friend, I'll always be here for you. Or as more too, if you'd allow it," his golden eyes held her gaze, looking immensely serious. Miku felt her heart racing.

"All right," she found herself agreeing. Rei blinked, eyes widening as well, and he didn't move as she leant up to kiss him lightly on the cheek. She'd give it a shot – it was time to move on anyway, and she couldn't deny her weird attraction to her pet either. Her cat. Her boyfriend now? Whatever the heck Kagene Rei was to her. "I'm glad I met you. Could you thank the sorceress for me if you happen to see her around?" she smiled. Rei nodded frantically. He could hardly believe his good luck.

Meanwhile, Megurine Luka, who was struggling through two pages of overdue math homework, sneezed and looked up from her notebook. "Why does it feel like someone is talking about me?" she asked. Then she shook her head. "Oh well," she sighed, returning to her stupid homework.

* * *

 **A/N** : _T_ _his story is a little lazy, but I just wanted to write something for this idea. Prompt was Rei getting turned into a cat, and Miku looking after him._


	9. when you just want your lunch

when you just want your lunch

Kagamine Len sighed, sipping his coffee and watching the people rushing around outside. Time was crawling – not that it usually went past particularly quickly for him anyway, but today was a new record. He felt like he had been sitting here for hours, but actually it had only been fifteen minutes.

"How's the food, sir?" he looked up to see one of the waitresses smiling at him, clearly hoping he would give her a good tip when he left. He forced a smile onto his face, kind of glad for the sudden company but also, at the same time, wishing that she would just leave him alone. He really didn't like talking to people unless they happened to interest him, or it was absolutely necessary…

"Oh, it's great," he answered politely, glancing down at his half-eaten baked salmon with baby carrots and mashed potato. He had a great fondness for salmon. The waitress nodded as well, clearly pleased with his response, and wished him a good day before she went to attend to other tables. He looked out of the window once more, another sigh passing through his lips. Today was slow and tedious. He wished the day would pass by quickly – but then tomorrow would be the same for him.

The door of the restaurant chimed, and he instinctively looked around, wondering who had just entered. His gaze landed on a girl, dressed in a light brown coat and wearing a tan beret. Her long hair, a vibrant teal waterfall that tumbled in loose waves down to her waist, was a welcome pop of colour against the restaurant's black and white décor. He looked for a while longer – a waiter went to attend to her, and she was brought to a table not too far from his. She seemed rather nervous.

Len wondered who she was waiting for. The girl, after seating herself and requesting for a glass of water, took off her long coat and hung it on the back of her chair, revealing a slender figure dressed in a fluffy white sweater and ripped jeans. There were patches on her knee-high boots, probably a result of melted snow. Overall, she looked nicely made-up, so he guessed she was meeting someone important – perhaps a mystery date or something. She twiddled her thumbs, looking around, and he continued staring – she did not look at him, and he wasn't sure if that disappointed him or not.

He went back to his baked salmon, deciding to finish the rest of it before it got cold. It was chilly day with fairly strong winds, so he wanted to eat his meal while it was still hot. The girl was still waiting for her mysterious lunch partner, and he figured he'd just hang around until the person came to meet her. It wasn't like he had anything better to do, anyway. He sliced away a chunk of salmon and popped it in his mouth, catching the eye of the waitress who spoke to him earlier – she gave him another smile and he nodded, averting his gaze. Eating here alone always made him feel awkward.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then thirty. The girl's mysterious guest never arrived, and he caught her looking worriedly at her watch every once in a while. The waiter went to her table a few times, asking if she wanted to get anything, but she always waved him away. Len was getting very curious now. He caught a quick glimpse of her face as she glanced around the restaurant and saw the faint look of distress she was wearing. The waiter she kept pushing away seemed to be getting a little irritated with her. Len decided there was no harm in going over to have a conversation.

Hatsune Miku jumped when someone tapped on the side of the table opposite hers. Her head shot around – was her date finally here? They had agreed to meet at this restaurant for lunch, but he was half an hour late…did he stand her up? Well, she could only blame herself for being gullible enough to meet some random dude off the Internet. What more could she expect from online dating?

But the person standing in front of her now definitely wasn't the guy she had been expecting – or if it was, then he certainly did not look like his profile picture. And it wasn't in a bad way either. Her online date had been above average looking with green eyes and ashy black hair, but this guy was the complete opposite. He was pretty much one of the most gorgeous people she had ever laid eyes on. Those soulful blue eyes, greyish blue like the winter sky, and light blond hair tied up in a loose ponytail…oh, and he was so tall! And those cheekbones could probably slice butter. She blinked.

"Hey, I saw you've been here for the past thirty minutes. Are you waiting for someone?" he opened his mouth, and for a moment she was mesmerised. He had a beautiful voice, smooth and low – she could listen to him talk all day. It was like silk against her ears. But she shook herself out of it, his words sinking in, and she realised that this guy clearly wasn't her date…much to her disappointment.

"Um, yeah, sort of," she laughed awkwardly, scratching her hair. The beret was stuffy and she really wanted to take it off, but she had a pretty nasty case of bedhead today and she didn't want anyone to see how unruly the hair on the top of her head was. She cringed at her words and how forced she sounded. The beautiful boy smiled angelically at her and she felt her heart speeding up in her chest. "He hasn't shown up yet though," she blurted out. "And he's not answering my messages either…"

She cringed again. She basically had just admitted to a complete stranger that she was stood up by her date. That was a wonderful way to make a first impression. The boy's eyes widened, and both of them didn't say anything for a moment – in fact, she was kind of hoping he would just leave now so that things wouldn't be so awkward, and she could go back to wallowing in self-pity. Then suddenly he coughed, a very serious look on his face. "Is it okay if I sit with you then, Miss…?"

"Oh, um, sure!" she squeaked, hating the way her voice went higher when she answered. "And oh, my name is Miku. Hatsune Miku," she added quickly, almost stumbling over her words. He smiled at her again, that beautifully angelic smile, and drew the chair out, sitting properly opposite her. She tried not to fidget, attempting to fix her messy hair as discreetly as possible. Was this gorgeous boy really sitting with her? Was this actually happening? She thought this kind of thing only took place in movies…

"My name's Kagamine Len," he introduced himself, those blue eyes soft and warm. She wanted to melt at the sight of those endearing eyes – there was something almost sad about his gaze, but his smile was friendly and gentle, and he looked at her in a way that made her feel like he was her friend – like she could talk to him about anything. Then she frowned – his name was vaguely familiar…

But she couldn't remember why, and eventually she just shrugged it off. Maybe he shared the same family name as someone else she knew or something. It wouldn't be surprising – Kagamine was a fairly common family name. "Great. So, uh, it's great to meet you," she tried not to stammer. His smile widened, and she hoped that he wasn't laughing at her. "What are you…ah, doing here?"

"Having my lunch," he answered, gesturing towards a table right behind hers. She glanced back and saw a cleared plate as well as a cup of steaming coffee. "I like to eat here, though it's a little strange because I always come in by myself. So I hope you don't mind my company. It'll be nice to not be judged for eating alone," he laughed. She nodded in understanding – she hated eating alone in public too. She was fine with eating alone in school, but in places like restaurants…no, not okay.

"Why do you eat alone, though?" she asked. Then she slapped a hand over her mouth. "You don't have to answer if it's a sensitive question or anything!" she hastily assured him, hating the way she tended to blurt things out without thinking. She really had to change that. The boy laughed again.

"No, it's fine. I eat alone because I don't really like making small talk with people," he met her gaze, blue eyes serious. She swallowed, simultaneously intimidated by and attracted to him. "Most of my colleagues and I don't really communicate for anything beyond work-related matters, so eating with them feels more stressful than actually working. I'd rather not put myself through that," he sighed.

Miku blinked. "You're working already?" he looked so young. "Where are you working?" she asked, curious. She had a naturally inquisitive nature, and she loved to ask all sorts of questions when she met new people. It was a habit she knew she ought to restrain a little, since she never knew when she might accidentally offend someone, but she loved finding out more about people she met and she was always forgetting to think things through before she spoke. Len shook his head, closing his eyes and smiling. She felt a little disappointed at his reluctance to answer, but she backed off.

"I'm sorry you got stood up though," he told her sincerely. "No girl deserves to be treated that way. Especially not someone like you," his gaze lingered on her, and she felt her face heat up. Was this gorgeous boy actually hitting on her? Or was she dreaming? She discreetly pinched herself under the table and winced – nope, she definitely wasn't dreaming. "Maybe we could meet for a coffee one day?" he offered. She willingly gave him her number, and he promised he'd send her a message.

Then he went off to pay his bill, explaining that his lunch break would be over soon and he had to get back to his office. She nodded, still dazed by what just happened, watching as he went to the counter to pay for his meal. Miku doubted he would actually message her, but…that was a nice thing to say.

* * *

Miku was brushing her teeth when her phone chimed. Glancing at the screen, she spat out the foam and washed out her mouth, wiping her lips dry with the back of her hand. She had received a text from an unknown number, and she wondered who it was from. Her first thought was that it was from Len, and excitedly she opened the message – no, it was just from that guy who stood her up this afternoon.

He claimed that he had to visit his sick mother in the hospital and it was a really last-minute emergency so he wasn't able to meet her, and he was so busy settling everything that he forgot entirely about her. She snorted, putting her phone aside – yeah, she might believe that if he hadn't told her that his mother died when he was little. Was it so hard to just tell her that he simply wasn't interested, rather than just wasting her time like that? She sighed again, feeling a little depressed.

She would be the first to admit that she didn't have the best luck with guys. Everyone in her school seemed to be already attached, which just make her singleness even more frustrating. She hadn't met anyone from her university whom she actually liked that way, so she turned to online dating, and so far every date she had simply didn't turn out well. Miku had half a mind to just give up and embrace her singlehood, but at the same time she'd really, _really_ like just one successful date.

Her phone started buzzing then, and still upset about her situation she picked up without looking at the screen. "Hello?" she asked grumpily, wondering who it was. There was a vaguely familiar laugh and she froze up, panicking – she recognised the smooth, rich laughter. It could only be one person.

"You sound unhappy," Len observed. "Did something happen?" she was trying not to hyperventilate. He really did contact her! She thought he had just asked for her number to seem nice. Her tongue suddenly felt too heavy to move so for a moment she just stood there, unable to say anything. "Miku?" he prompted, when a few moments passed and she still hadn't said a single word.

"Nothing, nothing!" she hastily blurted out, her tongue suddenly able to move again. But her tongue seemed to be disconnected from her brain. "I was just wondering why guys are such terrible liars!"

Len seemed amused. "Terrible liars?" he asked, good humour in his voice. Miku's thoughts abruptly caught up with her mouth and she froze, realising what she had just blurted out. "I don't think I'm a bad liar…or that I lie much at all, actually," he mused. "I'd like to think that I'm a pretty honest guy…"

"I don't mean you!" she hastily interjected, wondering why she was so stupid. "Just…some guy just told me an excuse and it was obviously fake so I thought that if he wanted to lie, he should at least put more effort into it. Anyway, um…so what did you call me for?" she tried to change the subject.

"I was wondering if you'd like to meet me at the same restaurant again tomorrow for lunch?" he asked, suddenly sounding very serious. She tilted her head, waiting for him to continue. "You seem like a nice person to talk to and it'd be great to have someone to eat with. I'll pay for your meal too," he offered. She felt mildly disappointed – why did it seem like he was paying her for her company?

But it didn't sound like a bad offer. At least she'd have company during lunch and a nice place to eat at, rather than just eating a cold sandwich alone in the cafeteria or something. "Oh…yeah, sure, why not?" she answered, looking at herself in the mirror. Her fringe and the hair around her face was wet since she had just splashed water on herself. She didn't think she was ugly, so why was it that she just couldn't find any guy who wanted to date her? Was it simply because she talked too much?

"Okay, great," he sounded relieved. "I'll see you then?" they agreed on the time and then he hung up, explaining he had to settle some work matters. Miku walked out of the bathroom, wondering how she had even gotten herself into this situation. But at least he was pretty good-looking!

* * *

Their first meeting was kind of awkward. Miku noticed straightaway that Len was fairly quiet, content to listen to her going on and on while he ate his meal. She definitely monopolised the conversation, and at first she had worried a lot about whether or not he found her annoying.

However, he appeared to sense her discomfort and assured her that he enjoyed listening to her talk about her day. So she continued, growing more and more comfortable with sharing – Len was a good listener, and he nodded and interjected every so often only to add his own perspective to things. So at the end of their lunch meeting, Miku had no regrets saying yes to this arrangement, and Len himself was clearly relieved when she agreed to meet him again tomorrow. And so it went on.

It turned into a routine of sorts. Although Miku thought it was rather clear that they weren't _dating_ , they were just eating together, it didn't mean that she didn't like him. She most certainly did find him attractive, but she never had the feeling that the attraction was mutual, so she didn't dare to say anything. She would talk about her day, about her schoolwork and her friends, and as time went past and she relaxed more, she started talking about her worries and her dreams for the future. Len was a patient listener, always offering an empathetic ear, and she could talk to him about anything – a feeling she didn't get even with her closest friends. But Len hardly said anything about himself.

He still didn't tell her where he worked, and he never talked about his job either or what he did precisely. But he did let slip a few things sometimes, such as his journey home being tedious because he had to take the elevator all the way up to the highest floor – so she concluded that he lived in the penthouse suite of some very tall building. She also knew he could drive since he had obtained his license a few years ago, and he used to do some part-time modelling when he was schooling, which might be why she found him vaguely familiar. Usually she talked a lot more than him though.

It was the first time she had met a guy who seemed to listen so genuinely to her. Len never gave her the impression that he was tuning her out or anything. In fact, he remembered most of the things she said and often brought them up in their conversations. She had lunch with him almost every day – some days he skipped lunch due to work, but he'd always tell her beforehand so that she wouldn't wait pointlessly for him – and they grew closer, though she still didn't know very much about him.

Len thought that Miku was very cute. Honestly, when he first invited her to have lunch regularly with him, he had just wanted someone to sit at the table so that the waiters would stop constantly bothering him. It could have been anyone, really. It just so happened that the idea of finding a regular lunch partner – who thankfully knew nothing about his work – occurred to him while he was talking to her, so he decided to give it a shot. It was pretty surprising, the fact that she even agreed.

He had never been a great conversationalist. Len was good at giving speeches and presentations – he had to be, he was his father's son. He was great at public speaking, having been trained in the art of persuasion since he was a child. But when it came to personal chats…it wasn't that he could not _talk_ to people on a more personal level, he just never really felt a need to do so. He was far more content to sit and listen, watching others and observing the daily lives of people. He wouldn't call himself an extrovert, but it was a persona he had to wear in front of everyone else in the company.

In truth, Len was much more introverted than he appeared, preferring to stay at home with a nice book and a cup of tea rather than networking with people. Dealing with others tired him out. But Miku was…well, she was fascinating. Her life was so different from his – her life was one he could never have dreamt of having, and he soaked up her experiences with immense interest. It sounded nice, the young, carefree life of a university student. He had gone to university of course, but given his high profile and the strict nature of his family, he never had the chance to let loose and enjoy himself. Not that he particularly wanted to go for parties or gatherings anyway, but there was a difference between choosing not to go for them and never having the opportunity to attend.

When Miku groused to him about her upcoming midterms or laughed about some silly thing her friends did over the weekend, Len couldn't help but smile. Some of those tales, like having too much homework, he could empathise with – though to him, it felt like they took place incredibly long ago. He felt _old_ , which was strange since he was only what, three years older than Miku? She mentioned she was in her third year of university, meaning she was twenty-one. University wasn't that long ago for him. But it really felt like a whole other world…he missed that life now, listening to her talk.

Personally he wasn't sure if he'd ever tell her about his life. She did ask him questions sometimes, and he'd answer them if he felt like they weren't _too_ personal. Like questions about his job. Miku treated him like he was a normal person – he liked it that way. She probably didn't know about his career since she was a university student, and everyone knew that university students tended not to be the most up-to-date with news in the working world – well, not unless they were looking for a job or internship at the moment, and Len knew that Miku did not fall into that particular category. Nor was she the kind to keep up with current affairs either. Her obliviousness was actually a relief, in this case.

He wondered what he'd do if she ever found out where he worked and who he was. Would that knowledge change the way she interacted with him? He met the wide green eyes of the curious girl as he reached into his wallet, paying for their meal. Miku always ordered the same thing for lunch, and it had reached the point where the waiters didn't even ask her what she wanted anymore. She had wanted to pay for her share before, but Len shot her down – she needed the cash more than he did.

Hopefully her finding out his job wasn't a situation that would ever happen. Len was quite happy leaving her in the dark about his work life. After all, meeting her and having lunch with her had turned into an escape of sorts – a place where he could listen instead of talk. He didn't want that to change.

* * *

Len was no longer sure if he liked the fact that Miku was a university student who apparently had a thing for getting drunk. Admittedly, she didn't do it very often and before this nothing bad had ever happened as a result of her partying, but she had worried him a lot tonight. He let out a sigh.

Miku muttered something and turned over in her sleep, curling up on the bed. She was in his guest room since he had no idea where she lived, and he definitely wasn't okay with just letting her stay in some hotel. He had received a drunken call in the middle of a late-night business meeting and had cut the meeting short just because he was concerned about her. Of course the meeting hadn't been extremely important, and the shareholder he was conferring with was very understanding about him having to find his "girlfriend" – Len had let the man assume that, not wanting to explain the situation – but it didn't make him feel any less guilty about abandoning his work. He'd make up for it later.

Miku said that she was attending her friend's twenty-first birthday bash at one of the clubs in town, and Len had sped all the way there, his only concern being to step in before she got into trouble with any guys – he couldn't help feeling overly worried, despite knowing that she had been in this situation before and her friends could probably take care of her. He did try to tell himself on the way there that Miku was all right, and the drunk call was nothing to be worried about, but when he arrived at the right club he saw Miku dancing with a group of guys, and at least two of them had their hands in places Len would call far from appropriate. He felt like he absolutely had to intervene.

He ran his hand through his hair, exhaling and looking around the room. He didn't know what time she'd wake up, but thankfully it was the weekend and she didn't have school tomorrow. He'd send her back home when he was done with his work in the morning, assuming she even managed to wake up early. She'd have one hell of a hangover when she was up. Glancing at her, he shook his head and reached out, brushing her fringe away from her forehead. She mumbled something and turned again, and Len withdrew his hand, sighing once more. He'd best get started on his papers.

Just like Len predicted, Miku woke up with a killer headache. She moaned, putting her hand up to her forehead as she gingerly sat up in bed, looking around the room. Her temples were throbbing and her head actually felt…heavy, like it was stuffed full of cotton. She squinted, looking around – where was she? This wasn't her room, nor was it the club where she had been last night. The room was large and clean, extremely simple and neat. There was a bed, a wooden dresser, a few frames hanging around on the walls – and then she couldn't see anymore because her head throbbed viciously, drawing her attention away. She groaned, collapsing back on the bed. What time was it? Where was her phone?

Then she heard the sound of the door opening, and footsteps. Miku tried to open her eyes, but the effort was too much for her and she couldn't get her eyelids to part. "How are you feeling?" she felt cool skin against her cheek and vaguely realised that the voice belonged to Len. Once more, she tried to open her eyes, and this time she succeeded in cracking her eyelids open just a bit. Len was staring down at her, concern in his blue eyes, his silken blond hair untied for once. It was the first time she had ever seen him dressed in semi-casual clothing – he was in a plain white shirt, the collar and top two buttons undone, and black slacks. Her gaze was drawn to the hint of defined chest she could glimpse through his unbuttoned shirt and she gaped, fascinated despite her pounding head.

"Fine," she tried to croak, finally averting her gaze. Her head throbbed again, and she moaned. Her throat felt so dry. Len shook his head, sighing, and reached out to a table next to her – she hadn't realised it was there earlier – and poured her a cup of water, handing it carefully to her. She took it gratefully. As she forced herself to sip from the cup, clamping down on her instinctive urge to throw up, she suddenly thought about how strange it was, that Len was here with her. "Where…am I?"

Len grimaced. Even then, he looked beautiful. "In my house," he answered. "You don't remember, I see. You called me last night while you were drunk, saying something about vodka and strip poker and five guys you met. I was worried about you, so I went to find you, and…well, I took you out of there," he shrugged. "You didn't seem like you were in a state to continue partying. I hope I didn't overstep my boundaries," he took the emptied cup from her, setting it back down on the table.

Miku thought that her face was probably scarlet. She wanted to die from mortification. She had drunk dialled Len? Of course she knew she had a tendency to call people when she was intoxicated, but she didn't think she'd have called _him_. What kind of impression had she left on him? Len had always been refined, elegant and thoughtful. She did mention that she went to clubs and parties sometimes, but she never wanted him to see her in her wasted state. He probably thought she was just a stupid, drunk party girl now. She shouldn't have saved his name as one of her contacts!

"Uh…" was the only thing she could force out of her mouth. Her head wasn't helping matters. Len just patted her gently on the shoulder, pushing her firmly back down so that she was lying on the bed again. His face was serious – he didn't look like he was judging her or anything, but what would she know? It wasn't like she was a mind reader. But the bed was really comfortable and warm…

"I have some matters to settle," his words seem to float over to her from somewhere far away. She could feel herself drifting elsewhere already. "Once I'm done with that, and when you're feeling a little better, I'll take you home. Just rest for now. I'll be back in a bit," he seemed to hesitate, then he leant down and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. She didn't even react, still feeling dazed from her hangover and her strange situation. Len quietly left the room after that and Miku sank down into a dreamy stupor, a small smile on her face. All this felt like a very weird dream. But at least it was a nice one.

* * *

 **A/N** : _I admit that this is not my best work, and actually it was a different idea but I realised that idea wouldn't work as a one-shot. I also just wanted to write something since I haven't written in a while (I'm on exchange right now so things are just beginning to settle down). Hopefully the next few will be better._


	10. bandit

bandit

Kagamine Len hissed, slapping her hand away. The girl pursed her lips, then rocked back on her heels, tipping her head as she watched him bleeding out. Len glared at the ground, fingers clenching into fists. Hot, vivid red blood spurted out through the thin material of his white shirt.

"You're going to bleed to death if you don't accept my help," the girl stated calmly, matter-of-factly, as though she cared not whether he lived or died. Would it matter even if she didn't care? He had been about to rob her house and burn the whole place down, uncaring of whether _she_ herself lived or died. If he hadn't been stabbed in the chest by one of his own comrades, he wouldn't even be here.

"Fuck _you_ ," he spat, red froth on his lips. Angrily, he wiped the blood away from his mouth, even that small action sapping what little energy he had left. His other hand was still clenching on to his shirt, which was soaked through with red. He numbly thought about how he never expected to die so soon. Being part of a wanted group of outlaws and robbers naturally meant a shorter life expectancy, but he was only eighteen years old – he didn't think he would die _this_ young. "I don't need your pity, bitch."

"So you want to die?" the girl retorted, the spark of anger that was suddenly present in her words startling him. His gaze slid over to meet hers and he noticed her glaring furiously at him, her green eyes narrowed. "You might have been robbing my house and you might have intended to leave me for dead, but unlike _you_ I have a conscience and I can't let someone bleed to death right in front of me. Let me help you," her voice softened, back to what it was like before. "I'm a doctor, and I know what I'm doing. Your wound doesn't seem to be extremely deep, but you will die if you don't get medical attention soon," she sounded firm, tugging at his clenched fist while she spoke.

Len growled, but finally complied, relaxing his fingers and wincing as the blood gushed out, hot and sticky. He was beginning to feel lightheaded – he never knew he had that much blood to lose. The girl began to tear away at his shirt, and he allowed her to remove the fabric, rolling his eyes up towards the ceiling while she examined his wound. This was probably his second worst wound ever, the first…being a result of something he preferred not to think about. The girl finally let out a sigh.

"You'll live," she announced, rising from the ground and hurrying to another room in the house. Len waited, not quite wanting to look down at his own gory injury, and a few moments later the girl returned with a few bandages, wipes and a pair of scissors. "I'm going to disinfect your wound with alcohol first and clean out any debris that may have lodged itself in there. It's going to hurt," she warned, unravelling the bandages and holding them up for him to see. Len just glared at her.

"Do what you want," he hissed, "I'm dead either way." The girl nodded, seeming to take no offence at his hostility, and got to work. He shut his eyes and grit his teeth throughout the whole procedure, the burning hot pain of disinfection almost making him pass out, but eventually everything was done and the girl was cleaning up his bandages, snipping them expertly and ensuring they wouldn't come loose later. He stared down at the white strips, where a faint circle of red was already growing.

"The bandages will need to be changed every couple of hours. As the skin begins to heal, it'll have to be changed less. I'd like to stitch it up, but…honestly, the wound isn't that bad, I've seen worse. You just need to stop bleeding, and it'll recover if you don't move around so often," the girl was now saying, packing up her supplies and rising from the ground once more. Len stared up at her, and she brushed some of her hair behind her ear, staring neutrally down at him. "You may stay in my home for a while longer to recuperate, then you can be on your way to…whatever it is you do."

"Why are you helping me?" he asked, words blunt. She paused, cocking her head, seeming to spend some time thinking over the answer, and her silence irritated him. He coughed, throat dry, and she noticed – turning, she went to fetch a glass of water, and he called out to her while she bustled around the kitchen. "Don't ignore me. Why are you helping someone who wished you no good?"

She returned to him with the glass of water, kneeling so that he wouldn't have to sit up to take it. He accepted the glass with grudging gratitude, and the girl sighed, closing her eyes while he sipped from the glass. He didn't try to check if it was poisoned – if she had wanted him gone, she could have just let him bleed to death on her kitchen floor. She didn't need to offer him any assistance whatsoever.

"I am a doctor, the only doctor in this town," she finally replied. "I swore an oath to always help those in need, regardless of where they are from or what kind of background they have. I will not break that oath, not even for someone who tried to kill me," she paused. "In return, all I ask is that you do not disrespect the service I've done for you, and do anything that might risk your health in your current state. It would not be convenient for either one of us if I had to constantly patch you up, outlaw."

He avoided her gaze. "My name is Len," he answered instead. "Kagamine Len. And…" he hesitated. "I apologise for trying to rob your house," he continued stiffly. "I will not apologise for who I am or what I do, but you saved me despite me wronging you and I will remember that. You do not need to bother yourself with me," he pushed himself up from the floor, hissing in pain as the girl started, clearly concerned about his condition. "I'll be gone in two weeks after I'm recovered, and you will never see me again. We can just pretend that I don't exist – I'll stay here as quietly as possible."

"No, I'll have to check on you daily to ensure that your wound hasn't become infected, and that your bandages do not need changing," she shook her head. "And two weeks will be too short to make a full recovery. What are you going to do when you're healed?" her sharp gaze met his, full of wisdom and keen intuition. "Are you going to hunt down the other man who stabbed you before he fled my home?"

"Maybe," he answered unwillingly, not wanting to share any of his personal plans with this stranger. The girl frowned, opening her mouth, but he cut across her before she could speak up. "Miss, I really appreciate what you've done but don't overstep your boundaries. You and I, we come from different worlds. If anyone were to realise that I was staying in your home, we'd both get in trouble with the law, and you're aware of that," he pointed out dully. She clamped her lips together. "I'll stay as quiet and hidden as possible, and slip away in the dead of the night. You won't even realise that I left."

She sighed, then finally she nodded resignedly. "I understand, Kagamine Len," she lingered over his name, meeting his gaze again. The small crease on her forehead never left. "You are one of the thirteen outlaws who belong to the Black Mamba bandits. The youngest, aren't you?" she asked, curiosity in her voice. He nodded curtly – he was stuck in her home, so there was no point hiding that information from her. "Why did you join…no, never mind," she must have noticed the scowl of irritation on his face. "I have a spare room on the floor upstairs. It is already laid out since I normally leave it ready for emergency patients. Make yourself comfortable, and call me if you need any help."

"I won't need your help," he answered curtly. She did not respond to that, instead collecting up her supplies and turning to leave. "Wait, before you go," he called out, and she turned a little to face him, expression unreadable. "What is your name? I need to know what to address you as," he explained.

"Hatsune Miku," she inclined her head, long teal fringe sweeping forward to cover her eyes. He raised an eyebrow – the Hatsune name was prestigious, and usually those with the family name tended to be wealthy and influential, not small-town doctors like her. Maybe it was just simple coincidence that she was living out here, alone and vulnerable, in a place filled with war and gore.

"Miku," he echoed, testing the word out on his tongue. She nodded at the sound of her name, and suddenly he smiled, a wicked grin curving his lips. "Right. Now I know who to look for if people in this town ever realise my whereabouts. Believe me, you may have helped me, but that does not mean I will not kill you if I ever find that my safety is compromised," he threatened. Miku smiled.

"Your safety is the very last thing you need to worry about in a doctor's home," she turned away from him again, long hair swinging back and forth against her waist. "I treat all my patients justly and fairly – you, outlaw or not, will be no exception. You may rest easy," she shot him a final parting glance, that faint smile still on her lips. "I would rather worry about you more so than myself. After all, I am not the one who is badly injured, and I am not the one preparing to head out on a suicide mission to hunt down my own comrades. And you are the youngest among them all. Is that not a risk?"

"Don't preach to me," he snapped. She just shook her head and walked out of the kitchen, carrying all her supplies out with her. Len stared at the doorway through which she had disappeared, then let out a sigh, his shoulders slumping forward as he leant against the counter, suddenly exhausted beyond belief. His hand felt over the layers of white bandages, and he wondered what the doctor wanted out of the entire interaction. No one in this world was altruistic – so what did she want from him?

* * *

Kagamine Len could not be any older than her. Miku sighed, flipping through her book, but she found that she couldn't get her mind off the young, angry bandit who now resided in the room down the hallway. She did not fear for her life or safety, but she wondered what he was doing right now.

She knew he was a wanted man. She had heard his name being whispered in bars and pubs, and seen rough drawings of him on posters, promising great rewards if he was captured and handed over to the authorities. She must be mad to hide a criminal in her home, but she saw the young man with the desperate fury in his blue eyes and the grimace of pain on his lips, and she was so reminded of her brother in his last moments that she couldn't just leave him to die. She couldn't abandon anyone to certain death, not even with a man who couldn't care any less about her. It just wasn't…her.

She came from a family of five, with her being the only survivor. Her old town was infected by the plague, and her entire family fell prey to the dreaded disease that wiped out more than half of the town's populace. She was one of the lucky few who, for some unfathomable reason, had natural immunity to the plague, but her family was not so fortunate. She had to watch her parents and her siblings die around her, one by one, all of them begging her not to let them go – and after that, she threw herself into studying and practicing medicine, not wanting to see another person pass on if she could do anything at all to change the situation. She had no formal training with medicine, but she learnt as she went along and she was a doctor's pupil for a few years before she left her home.

Now here she was, eighteen years old, probably one of the youngest doctors in the country, with a strange knack for patching up wounds and stitching shredded skin back together. Where she lived now was criminal territory – there were few people in this region who could claim that they were on the straight and narrow. But she, as a doctor, was protected from all the criminal happenings that occurred here on a regular basis – at least, until today she was. She shuddered. If she hadn't been outside, visiting a patient, she might very well have been killed by the Black Mamba bandits.

The Black Mambas were the most fearsome gang of outlaws in the entire country. They travelled around outside the towns, rarely making contact with civilisation – when they did, it was usually either for money or booze, occasionally women for the older men. The Black Mambas consisted of thirteen men, with Kagamine Len being the youngest at eighteen years old, and all of them had notorious reputations of their own. As a group, the Black Mambas were formidable, and no lawman dared to stand up to them alone. They usually had more or less free reign of the country, looting, ransacking and pillaging whenever they wanted. People whispered when they talked about them, afraid that saying their names aloud would cause the wind to carry their voice to the bandits, and draw their ire.

Miku slowly rose from her bed and tiptoed down the hallway, to where Len was sleeping. She knew he was asleep – for all his anger and bravado, his body was exhausted and he needed the rest. He had been sleeping fitfully for the past two nights, and the wound didn't seem to be showing any signs of getting better. She had to keep replacing his bandages since they continued getting soaked through with blood, but Len absolutely refused to have his injury sewn up so she decided to wait and see. If by tomorrow night, he was still bleeding this way, she would insist on stitching up the wound.

She carefully opened the door to his room and saw the bandit lying on the bed, mumbling quietly as he tossed and turned, clearly uncomfortable. Miku sighed, then crossed over towards him, unsure of how to help – she could deal with physical illness, but with nightmares she was of little use. The outlaw was noticeably pale, his skin having a light sheen to it, and she pressed a hand against his forehead, concerned for him – it was burning hot, and she snatched her hand back, realising he had developed a fever. She immediately went to get a small towel and, wetting it with cool water, she brought the damp towel and a small bowl of water back to his room to try and bring his fever down.

Who would ever have thought that this young man, saying unintelligible things in his sleep with a deep frown on his face, would have been callous enough to try and kill her? Perhaps he had not intended to kill her directly, but he _had_ wanted to burn her house down and he probably would have if he didn't get stabbed by his partner on the way out of the house. She had come back just in time to see the betrayal, and saw how Len dropped the lighter, clearly as shocked as she had been when she discovered two robbers in her home. The other man ran out with whatever possessions they had stolen – she realised it was her jewellery box, which contained her family heirlooms, but at least she was safe – and left Len on the floor to die. Miku had been rather torn about helping him, but his face then…

She was horribly upset about the missing jewellery, since they were all she had left of her family – even at her poorest she had never pawned the heirlooms, despite them being worth a vast fortune. But she reminded herself that at least she was safe, and Len was alive. That was the most important. She wiped the towel across his forehead, studying his long, curled eyelashes and the way his flaxen hair, normally smooth and silky, now stuck to his damp skin. He was extremely handsome, which made it even harder to believe that this boy was one of the Black Mambas, yet here he was.

"Kill them…kill them all…" the boy was moaning now in his sleep, and Miku winced, wondering what he was dreaming about. Even at rest he was full of rage and violence. Such an existence had to be a tiring, distrustful one. No wonder he was so suspicious of her when she tried to help him and clean his wound. "Mama!" he suddenly cried out, his eyes flying open, and he jolted upright on the bed, his breaths sharp and hurried. His wild eyes met hers, and they stared at each other for a moment.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, his voice back to its usual hostile tone – though he sounded a little slurred, probably due to having only recently woken up and his newfound fever. "I thought I said to just leave me alone until I get better. Could you stop sticking your nose where it doesn't belong?"

"You have a fever," she retorted. He pursed his lips sullenly, the sheen of sweat and the sour stench of illness still clinging on to his skin. "I was helping to bring your temperature down. And maybe I did not want you perspiring all over my pillows," she added, tired of his snappishness and the way he always tried to turn away her assistance. He made no response – instead, he just lay back down on the bed, and when she continued wiping his forehead, he said nothing. He just closed his eyes.

She wanted to ask about what she heard him saying in his sleep, but she knew that if she even dared to open her mouth he would force her to leave the room, and she couldn't in good conscience leave him there while he was ill. The fever, combined with his injury, was most likely not a good sign – the wound might be infected; she would have to monitor his condition. So instead of that, she tried to make small talk, wondering if she might discover more about his past. "Is there any reason why you chose to become an outlaw? It's clearly not the safest thing to do, and it's best not to continue with it."

He snorted. "Not a safe thing to do? What an understatement," his blue eyes opened lazily, fixing her with a stare. His eyes were like ice, cold and beautiful, but painful to touch. He was so distant, so removed from her, although at the same time he was right there, lying on her bed. "Of course I had my reasons. But if you intend to trick me into revealing more about myself, then you need to try harder. I won't so easily trust that you won't betray me to the authorities. If my own comrade can stab me in the chest, then why would I trust you, a stranger, with my life story?"

"Perhaps because I saved you when you were dying?" she suggested, raising an eyebrow. The blond outlaw rolled his eyes and shut them again, turning his head slightly so that he was facing away from her – though he didn't turn so much that it would be hard for her to continue wiping his forehead.

"I never asked to be saved by you," he retorted sullenly. "You did so despite my stubbornness about wanting to be left alone. Maybe I wished to die, and you deprived me of such an option," she had the feeling that if his eyes were open, they'd be glaring balefully at her right now. "And that alone isn't going to be enough to make me trust you. You'll need to try a lot harder than that, doctor."

"All right, very well," she paused. "Then the brand on the back of your shoulder…" she felt him stiffen at the mention of the brand, and knew it was a touchy subject. She pressed on anyway. "Does that brand have anything to do with your decision to join the Black Mambas, then? I recognise that brand…that mark. I've seen it before, I think, when I was in another town way past the hills –"

"Don't ask too many questions, because that could very well get you killed," his cold voice made her flinch, and she actually stopped wiping his skin with the towel, shocked by the abrupt change in his tone. He had never sounded friendly, but this time he seemed actively hostile – the same way he was when she first found him in her kitchen, bleeding to death. "I don't ask you about your history or life story, so I ask that you respect my privacy too. Leave me be, and I'll leave you well alone."

She bit her lip. "As a doctor, I need to know about my patients so that I know the best way to treat them," she answered softly, wringing the towel out and dipping it in the bowl of cool water again. Len opened his eyes, rolled them visibly at her, then turned away, indicating that he did not want her in the room any longer. She hesitated, then quietly she picked up her tray with the towel and the bowl, and rose from the chair to leave the room. It was clear that even if she stubbornly sat there and tried to continue the conversation, it would go nowhere. Len was clearly done talking to her.

But she wondered if she could get him to open up. She could feel there was a lot of pain within him – not just the physical injury that he was currently recuperating from, but plenty of emotional hurt as well. It must be why he was so defensive, so ready to lash out at those who were only trying to help him. If only she could see his emotional pain as clearly as she saw the white bandages he wore.

* * *

Len absentmindedly traced his finger over the brand she brought up just now, thinking about the mark and what it meant to him. The reason why he joined the Black Mambas was right there, imprinted upon his skin. Why did she have to mention the brand? When had she even seen it on his shoulder?

He shook his head, scowling. That girl's uncanny knack for noticing things would get her killed one day. Not that he particularly wanted her to die. Most of the time when she came into the room, leaving him food and checking on his wound…he usually pretended that he was asleep since he didn't want to talk to her, but he could hardly rest easy in a stranger's house. No, he knew it every time she entered the room, her light footsteps familiar to him by now. She was slender and willowy, floating through the room like a midsummer night's dream, and he could hear her breathing.

Sitting up on the bed, he looked down at the bandages again and winced – there was a pinkish tinge to them, but it was getting better. He wasn't quite as lightheaded as he usually was either, which he took to be a good sign. He glanced at the bedside table, where Miku had left some food from earlier in the morning. Honestly, he was surprised that she hadn't commented on the untouched food, but then again he hadn't been eating a lot, the past few days. He wasn't feeling well, and sometimes he wasn't entirely sure when he was awake and when he wasn't. But he knew he was awake right now.

Whenever his mother appeared to him he knew he had to be dreaming. His mother had passed away twelve years ago – though as a child, he hoped she might return, he was too old now to hold on to such delusions. Reaching out to the small loaf of bread and the glass of water the doctor left on the table, he pinched off some of the bread and popped it in his mouth, wincing as he swallowed – his throat felt parched. He hadn't even realised how thirsty he was. Grateful for the water, he took a long, deep gulp, draining most of the water at one go. Then he wondered if he was well enough to stand and walk around. He hadn't left the room during the past two days, feeling too drained to explore.

A female doctor…who would have thought that such a person existed? Most doctors were male. She was the first doctor he had ever seen who was…well, a girl. And so young, at that. She didn't look any older than him, though he had never asked her for her age. On one hand, he was slightly incredulous about her abilities – what would a woman know about men's wounds and injuries? But she seemed to know what she was doing, and he personally knew that he was in no condition to travel anyway.

He rose from the bed, pressing his hand flat against the wall for support. Suddenly standing made him a little dizzy, but he blinked furiously and waited for his senses to settle, and after a moment or two he felt well enough to walk. So he took his hand off the wall, carefully shuffling across the room towards the door, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he could get there without any assistance. Perhaps he was not as ill as he thought. Opening the door, he checked outside before deciding that it should be safe to wander around – Miku was nowhere in sight.

He went down the stairs, grasping tightly on to the banister the whole time, and only let go when his feet were safely on the ground once more. He looked around the small house – he did not get a very good look the first time, since they had only been there to steal the person's valuables, and he didn't bother to take note of what kind of home this was. It was bare, the furnishings kept to a minimum – the parlour was clean and tidy, but had few decorations. Clearly it was not used to entertain visitors very often…he wondered if the doctor had friends in town, or if she remained by herself mostly.

"Len? You shouldn't be up," Miku's voice rang out behind him, and he glanced around, lips twisting into a scowl at the sound of his name. The doctor was coming out of the kitchen, wiping her hands dry on a handkerchief. She stared at him, eyes slightly narrowed. "You are not fully recovered from your wound, and you are running a fever to boot. Go back up and rest," she continued, the way she said it making it sound like an order. He gritted his teeth, stepping forward towards her, and she stared right back at him, completely unafraid. "You know that it's for your own good," she added.

He stopped right in front of her, looking down at the petite girl with the long teal hair and knowing green eyes – she was slim and dainty, and he could kill her so easily if he wasn't so sick. Not that he wanted to kill her anyway, since she had saved him, but sometimes he wished he could wrap his hands around her neck and throttle her. She had no idea how frustrating she was. "No one orders me around," he growled, "not even if you're a doctor. I will _never_ listen to another person's commands again," the words came out vehemently, with more emotion behind them than he had intended.

She blinked, clearly surprised by the anger in his words, and he gave her a burning glare before he turned and stalked off towards the parlour, languishing on her white settee. Miku clearly thought against telling him to go upstairs again, and instead went to join him in the parlour, settling herself on the armchair next to the settee. Len glared quietly at her, but neither one of them said a word, and for a while there was nothing but tense silence between the doctor and the outlaw. Miku did not budge.

He wondered how long it would take before one of them finally said a word – he was determined not to say anything, and let the silence overwhelm her if need be. But for a long time, not a single word slipped past her lips either, and finally Len just rose from the settee and went back upstairs, trying his best to ignore the doctor. For some reason, he felt like she had won some kind of nonverbal argument, but he tried not to let that feeling affect him too much. After all, she was only a girl.

* * *

It had been three weeks, and Len had yet to leave the doctor's house. His injury was getting better – he no longer had to wear the thick layers of bandages after Miku decided that some gauze would do. There was a scar, but that wasn't surprising – it wasn't an immediately life-threatening injury, but it had been a pretty deep stab nevertheless. It was beginning to heal though, which was a good sign.

His fever finally subsided a week ago, another positive sign. He knew he was going to recover soon, but he felt strangely reluctant to leave Miku's home. For three weeks he had experienced security, privacy, and…a sense of _freedom_ , despite being locked in the doctor's residence. Out on the plains, he never could tell how much longer he would live, and there was no such thing as privacy, not when he lived and breathed with twelve other outlaws. They depended on each other for survival – he couldn't wander off into the wilderness by himself, not even if he was craving some personal space.

Here though, he was safe and secure enough to lock himself in his room for hours on end, content to watch the clouds floating past in the azure sky, or to just think about his past and the events which made him who he was today. Miku did not try to enter his room whenever he locked his door, so maybe she knew that he was craving some personal time – he didn't know whether she really was that aware of him, and he told himself he didn't care, either way. The doctor spent most of her days out of the house anyway once it was clear that his condition was now stable, and she only returned in the evenings, when it was time for her to prepare dinner. It had become a routine of sorts. Len hated it.

He missed the freedom of the plains, though this place offered him more comfort and security. At least, he knew he ought to miss the plains – he was a wild bandit, an outlaw, and he had no place whatsoever in civilised society. He had never been a part of the townspeople, and he didn't want to pretend that he could be just like them, but at the same time this new routine was comforting to him and…it helped to keep the nightmares away. That was the only reason why he was still staying here, despite it being more than two weeks already. There really was no other reason to stay on.

"You are quiet tonight. Not that you usually aren't quiet," Miku observed, washing the dishes, "but you are more quiet than usual. Are you feeling all right?" she asked, dipping the next plate in her small pail of water. Every morning and evening Miku would go to the water tanks to fetch water for her daily activities, and Len would have offered to take some water – he was a man, he was stronger than her and could carry more pails – if only he wasn't wanted by the authorities. It was beginning to make him feel strange, being stuck indoors most of the time. The dusty plains beckoned to him.

But at the same time, he couldn't say that he outright hated being indoors. Or maybe it was just whatever the doctor was feeding him, addling his brain. Because the past few days he couldn't help but notice how pretty she was. He wasn't interested in women, unlike the other Black Mambas, especially not given his traumatic childhood, but the doctor was beginning to catch his eye in a way that made him faintly uncomfortable. Perhaps he ought to leave as soon as he possibly could.

"I'm fine," he answered curtly. The doctor nodded and said nothing else, but Len glanced at her as she continued to peacefully wash the dishes, and wondered if she really had left the matter alone and was no longer thinking about his condition. She cared too much for a complete stranger like him, and moreover he had almost killed her. Why was she so altruistic? He didn't believe that even doctors would be that…selfless. Everyone wanted something from someone else. That was life.

"Why are you a doctor? Why do you save people?" the words came unthinkingly out from his mouth. The girl looked up, startled, and he felt his eyes widening as his mind caught up with his tongue. "No, forget that I asked anything," he added, turning away from her and staring resolutely at the wall, his arms folded across his chest. He was still in the kitchen, and he had half a mind to leave, but he didn't know what else he could do. Sit in the parlour? Go back to his room? He was not yet tired.

"No, I can answer that," the girl spoke, her voice suddenly much closer to him than before. He whipped around, shocked, and saw that she was standing only a few steps away from him now, the dishes still resting in the pail of water. She was drying her hands on a towel, watching him intently. Her green eyes were always so penetrating, so wondering, as though she was determined to suss out all his secrets just by staring at him. "I save people because I watched my entire family die from the plague. I didn't want anyone else to suffer the way I did, so I was determined to learn medicine."

"Then maybe you should have let me die," he cut in dully, avoiding her gaze. The wound on his torso throbbed, a reminder of what had happened in this kitchen just three weeks ago. "There is no one waiting for me, no one who would mourn me if I died. I have no family, and even my name was not given to me by my parents. I don't know who my father was. There is nothing left for me but the plains and the Black Mambas, and now I don't know if I want to join them. Dying…" his lips curved into a bitter smile, "sounds like a far more pleasant option under such circumstances, don't you think?"

"I would mourn if you were to perish now," her words were quiet. "After I spent so much time and effort, trying to nurse you back to health…if you were to give that all up, it'd be utter disrespect to my work and my profession. So please do not treat your life so lightly," she reached out, touching his arm gently. Her fingers were thin and slightly calloused, and fair against his slightly darker skin. Len had never been able to tan, though he did become very red if he spent too long under the sun. It was one thing which the Black Mambas had always ridiculed him for, calling him a pampered young lord whenever he complained about the sun. It wasn't his fault that the sunlight burnt him.

"Then you're the only one who would care," he answered, meeting her gaze. She said nothing, but she continued to stare up at him intently, waiting for him to talk. He sighed, suddenly exhausted. "The brand you noticed on my shoulder before – it's the mark of a slave. I was born on a plantation, and my mother died when I was a child. I was torn away from her dead body and brought into the owner's house, where the women used me for my appearance. I'm sure I don't need to explain what I mean," he added, noticing the look of distress on her face. "I ran away the first opportunity I got, and I joined the outlaws because who would try to track their pet slave across the open plains? They want me back, but they would not mourn my demise – my owners are only interested in what else I can offer them," his smile was thin. "Do you understand, doctor? I am not wanted; I'm not even considered a _person_. This brand marks me the same way cattle and livestock are branded."

"I would mourn," she whispered, repeating what she said to him earlier. Her eyes searched his. "The few times you were willing to speak to me – I _know_ that you are more than what you pretend to be. You are not simply a bandit without any conscience, nor are you mere _cattle_ ," she spoke so vehemently that he was momentarily startled into silence. "You are my patient, someone with feelings as deep and nuanced as any other person in this town, and I will not have you thinking about yourself as though you were worth anything less. Don't let the past define your future, or who you are," she urged.

His smile further thinned. "I don't let the past affect me at all, doctor," he explained. "It only comes to me in nightmares, short bursts of devilish dreams that remind me of the horrors of my past," he pried her fingers away from his arm, dropping her hand as he stared down at her, trying to distance himself from the doctor. Deep down, he was afraid – for a moment he had opened up to her, and now he felt so exposed and vulnerable that his first instinct was to just run and hide. "I might have just told you something about my past, but please do not take that to mean that we are bosom buddies now. It changes nothing about our relationship. As you said, we are simply doctor and patient."

"I did not want it to change. But you did," she retorted, clasping her hands together. He narrowed his eyes and opened his mouth, preparing to interject, but she continued, not giving him the chance to interrupt. "You told me your story of your own accord. _You_ said it to me – I asked nothing, but you told it to me nevertheless. Please don't expect me to pretend that nothing at all changed between us."

Len groaned, closing his blue eyes, and Miku just continued to watch him, her heart thudding in her chest. She had never thought she would ever get to this stage with the bandit. The past few weeks had been fraught with tension and unspoken words, but she also noticed that he was spending more and more time in the parlour when she was home, and he liked to watch her when she was making dinner in the kitchen. She pretended that she couldn't feel the piercing stare trained on her back.

"I don't want to get any closer to you," his next words came out in an uncharacteristic whisper. "I'm a bandit. I don't belong in town with you. And if I stay here any longer – if I get any more attached to you – it's only going to hurt you. You can't be seen with a felon. And I belong in the plains. We come from two different worlds, doctor, and neither one of us can cross into the other," he murmured.

"Perhaps you only feel this way because I saved you," she hesitantly reached out to him, placing her hand on his shoulder, trying to determine what were his boundaries when it came to her touch. His eyes snapped open and he watched her hand warily, but he made no move to push her away. "Give it some time, and…and maybe soon, you'll be well enough to leave, and you will not feel so confused," she advised him. The bandit took in a deep breath, something like dismay on his face.

"And what if I do not wish to leave?" he asked, voice trembling. Suddenly, he seemed so vulnerable. It was a side of him she had never seen before – the raw pain she felt from him weeks ago was now pouring into his words, the intensity of his emotions almost shocking her. "What would you do then, doctor? You may have healed my wounds, but the trauma in _here_ ," he tapped the side of his head, "that won't ever go away. I know it can't. The mind does not so easily forget," he laughed shakily. "Yet when I am with you, the nightmares…they fade. And I wake up feeling better about myself as a person. Sometimes I forget about the brand on my shoulder entirely," he winced. "Would you then chase me away, doctor, if staying here…if your presence helps to keep me sane?"

She had no idea what he wanted from her. He was the one who told her he had to leave – yet in the very next sentence he was asking her to let him stay. What did _he_ want from her? She couldn't really think, not when he was staring at her so beseechingly, not when she knew that she was witnessing a side to him the bandit had probably never revealed to anyone else. "And why is that?" she asked carefully.

"I don't know!" he snapped. "There's just something about this routine, about the security offered in your home, about _you_ …I don't know," he quietened. "But what I do know is that my nightmares have all but stopped, and that has never happened before. I always dream of my mother's dead body, being thrown out into the ditch for the wild dogs," he shuddered. "I would not wish such an experience upon anyone, not even my worst enemy. But it's fading because of you…Miku."

It was one of the rare few times he actually called her by her name, instead of simply 'doctor'. She was a little surprised by that. "Well…" she hesitated. "But I thought you wanted to seek revenge against the man who stabbed you," she brought up, knowing that had been part of his plans. Len frowned, looking conflicted, and she hastened to smooth over the issue. "It is all right if you do not wish to do so too. You are not yet fully well, and you should hold off all your plans until you're better."

"Yes, perhaps," he didn't seem entirely convinced, but thankfully he did not say anything more. "I will…I will take some time to think about what I want. I know I want the nightmares to stop, but at the same time I do not wish to risk being discovered, nor do I want you to get into trouble with the law because of me," his gaze captured hers, and she couldn't look away. He had the bluest eyes she had ever seen, and they were lovely. For once they weren't cold and distant – he simply looked confused, maybe even lost. "Whatever I told you tonight, you must not breathe to another soul."

"I will not," she promised. "Cross my heart and hope to die," she pressed a hand over her chest, hoping that the sincerity in her words would move him. He relaxed slightly, then nodded in her general direction and turned to leave the kitchen. She was left feeling as though she had just run across the wide open plains, her heart beating so quickly that she almost couldn't breathe. She didn't know why she felt this way, but she had to admit that the intensity in Len's eyes was breath-taking.

It would be foolish to get involved with a patient. She was a doctor, and he was a bandit – they had nothing in common. But she couldn't just abandon him, not when she had heard his story and knew that he had nothing left to live for. She didn't want to just nurse him back to health – she wanted him to be whole and sane, and she knew from his account that he was far from mentally stable. The grief he buried deep within him was whittling away at his person, and the nightmares were a clear sign of that…

How could she help him? She healed the body, not the mind. But if Len claimed that her presence helped to keep the nightmares away…would it be a bad idea then, to let him stay here a while longer?

* * *

 **A/N:** _I know I normally alternate chapters so this chapter should have been another Miku pairing instead of LenKu, but I haven't written LenKu in a long time and I was really feeling the itch. Not that there's a lot of romance in this story anyway. I wanted it to be super romantic in the beginning, but Len's personality just doesn't work with the whole romantic, emotional kind of thing. I think it'd take at least a few months before he actually starts displaying any kind of affection towards Miku, although he is so obviously attracted to and dependent on her, but...oh well._


	11. wedding crasher

wedding crasher

Hatsune Miku was young, broke, and starving. She and her best friend, Nakajima Gumi, were trying to decide whether or not they ought to spend money on food or if they should save the cash for something more appealing, when Gumi spotted a lifeline in the distance.

"Miku, look!" Gumi shook her shoulder and pointed aggressively at one of the large houses down the street. There seemed to be quite a crowd on the lawn, and as Miku squinted at the house, she realised what the occasion was – it was a wedding. She could see the bride in her long white dress with a man in a tux by her side, talking and greeting guests at the gate. There were lots of people pouring into the front yard, and her gaze landed on the giant buffet spread in front of the house.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Gumi whispered conspiratorially, nudging her side. Miku grinned, eyes lighting up in anticipation. It wouldn't be the first time she and Gumi crashed a stranger's wedding. They had done it maybe five or six times already in the past year, and they were always able to get away undetected. After all, giant weddings usually had so many guests, and people brought friends of friends and distant relatives along – no one was going to point out two girls and start questioning who they were, and how they were related to the bride and groom.

"Well, lucky thing that we decided to dress nicely for school today," Miku answered, patting down her white summer dress and adjusting the small, black leather messenger bag she carried over her shoulder. Gumi winked at her – she was wearing a crisp, pastel blue blouse tucked into a short white skirt, and she carried a brown satchel bag that was only a little bigger than her own. They definitely wouldn't stand out from the rest of the guests, and Miku felt fortunate that today, she decided to put in more effort into her appearance than she usually would. "Let's go!" she set off towards the house, Gumi following eagerly behind her. They were practically experts at gate-crashing by now.

When they got to the house with the wedding banquet, the two girls got in line behind an elderly couple who was discussing something that happened to one of their friends. Miku idly listened to their conversation while Gumi looked around the front yard, taking note of who was talking to whom, and to see if there was anyone they knew. Miku didn't spot anyone she recognised, but she could see plenty of servers handing out food and listening to people's requests. She spotted one of the servers, standing behind what seemed to be the ice cream bar. He was probably her age.

Miku was a second-year university student. Money was always tight – not so much because she was poor, but rather because of bad financial management. She always promised herself that she would stop spending so much each month, but by the middle of that month she would always find herself broke and surviving on cup noodles until the beginning of the next month, when her pocket money would come in again. This month was no different. Gumi was just like her, so both girls were trying to figure out ways to get food without actually spending money on it. Miku could always just buy something to eat and sacrifice going out with her friends, but that would be a desperate last resort.

However, this year Miku and Gumi had finally figured a way around their lack of income. It started when Gumi attended a distant relative's wedding, and no one apparently knew who she was or even noticed her that much. From there, she got the idea of sneaking into random strangers' wedding parties and eating the food, since most people evidently didn't pay too much attention to the other guests unless they actually recognised them. She dragged Miku along the first time she tried this, and Miku reluctantly agreed to the idea – much to her surprise, their plan succeeded and they had a pretty good meal. From then on, they started crashing all the wedding parties they saw in town.

By the time Miku and Gumi got to the gate, the bride and groom were gone, replaced by a bored-looking young boy and a slightly older teenage girl, who was chewing on some gum. The two kids gave her and Gumi a cursory glance, evidently decided that they looked fine and said nothing, so the two of them walked right in without any trouble. Miku just smiled whenever someone happened to look at her for a little too long, and soon enough they managed to reach the buffet table. The two girls then each grabbed a plate and grinned knowingly at each other before separating to get some food.

The variety of food they had was pretty good. There was a large spread, with all sorts of small cakes and delicious looking entrees. Miku could also see some Asian cuisine, with curry and fish and some kind of clear broth noodle. Miku wasn't fussy about the food as long as it tasted good, so she took a little bit of everything and went to join Gumi in a quieter area of the yard, hoping no one would pay them too much attention. "What did you take?" she asked, eyeing Gumi's relatively empty plate.

"I'm taking my time," her best friend answered, poking her fork into some cream pudding. "Starting off with dessert," she stuck the forkful of pudding into her mouth. "Anyway, is it just me or has that guy been staring at us a lot?" she asked, nodding her head in the direction of the ice cream bar. Miku glanced in the direction Gumi indicated, narrowing her eyes against the glare of the afternoon sun.

It was the server Miku had noticed earlier, standing outside the gate. He was probably another university student just like them – he was vaguely familiar, as though she had seen him before somewhere. Maybe she had seen him on campus before or something. He was wearing the typical black and white uniform of a banquet server, and as she watched he smiled at one of the guests and scooped out some ice cream for her, passing the bowl back with a laugh and a quick wink.

In fact, he was getting quite a bit of attention. Miku frowned – she swore she had seen him around before somewhere, but she just couldn't remember where exactly it was. The last person waiting in line for ice cream finally left the stand, and he looked up, meeting her gaze. He blinked at her, gave her a friendly grin then looked back down at his ice cream, likely trying to decide if it was time to refill one of the flavours or something. Miku made a face, and turned back to talk to her friend.

"He seems awfully friendly," she commented, digging into her soup noodles. Gumi, who at this point had her mouth stuffed full of pudding, just shrugged and swallowed, wiping her mouth with a paper napkin. Miku looked at him again, unable to help herself – this time he didn't notice her staring, which was probably a good thing. He _was_ pretty cute, with his golden hair and bright blue eyes. His hair was tied up into a neat ponytail, his fringe slicked back from his face, and the uniform he wore made him look super polished. She wondered if he had a girlfriend. It wouldn't be surprising if he did…

"Why don't you just go and get some ice cream? You've been eyeing him for like, the past five minutes," Gumi rolled her eyes and giggled, nudging her shoulder. "Besides, he's pretty cute," she echoed what Miku had been thinking, and Miku shot her friend a look, still slurping up her noodles.

"But…isn't it kind of weird to like, just hit on one of the servers at a party?" she protested, her gaze drifting back to him again. The cute server was looking around, maybe bored, though she couldn't see that from his expression. She decided that he was definitely taller than her, which was a bonus. But even if she went to talk to him she wouldn't know what to say. Miku didn't have a lot of experience with talking to boys. Like sure, she definitely had male friends and she did get guys asking her out occasionally, but Gumi was way more experienced with relationships. Gumi was daring and outgoing, and guys just seemed to be attracted to that kind of confidence. Miku wasn't exactly shy, but she wasn't as bold as her best friend, so she often paled in comparison.

"Never try, never know!" Gumi chirped, licking the pudding off her fork. "Just go, you're almost done with your food anyway, and there's no queue for ice cream right now. Don't wait until there's a long line before you go!" her best friend exclaimed, shoving her hard now. Miku almost fell over, but she caught herself in time, shooting Gumi a cross look before she got up from her seat and hesitantly approached the ice cream stand, Gumi quietly cheering her on. The server still wasn't looking at her.

She reached the ice cream stand and coughed. The server blinked and turned around to stare at her, his full lips parting slightly in surprise. "Uh, hi," she managed, her mind suddenly going blank. She couldn't even remember which flavour of ice cream she normally asked for. Was it chocolate? Chocolate chip? Vanilla?

"Hi!" he grinned, probably recognising her as that teal haired girl who kept giving him weird looks. "Would you like some double chocolate chip again, Miss?" he continued, grabbing a bowl and reaching down towards the ice cream tubs. Miku automatically nodded before she caught herself, frowning – how did he know what kind of ice cream she normally ate? Why did he sound like he had actually served her before? The boy held out the bowl while she was still thinking, and she unconsciously reached out for it, desperately trying to remember where she had seen him before.

"You know, this town isn't that big, and there aren't a lot of wedding caterers here," he continued conversationally, blue eyes twinkling. "Plus your teal hair is really distinctive, you don't see many people in town with this hair colour," he added, raising an eyebrow. And suddenly, Miku figured it out.

Instantly her face flamed. While she and Gumi had always managed to blend in with the guests without being caught, their town only had _one_ wedding caterer and that meant…all the weddings she and Gumi crashed were managed by the same company. Meaning that the servers were probably the same for all these events. Meaning this guy must have seen the two of them at other wedding lunches before!

"Uh…I have no idea what you're talking about," she spluttered, holding on tightly to her ice cream and edging away cautiously. The server's smile turned into an outright smirk, a very smug ' _I know your secrets now_ ' kind of smirk, and he winked at her while she stood there, struggling to come up with a reply. She could always just turn around and leave, but then that felt like admitting to her guilt. Not that she could refute anything he was implying, anyway. He knew she wasn't invited.

"Sure, sure," he tutted and shook his head, blue eyes still twinkling. "I don't know what you think I'm talking about either, if that makes you feel any better. Your ice cream is going to melt if you don't eat it soon, and there are people waiting for their turn," he added, his gaze darting behind her. Miku glanced back and saw a short line of children, clearly waiting for her to get out of the way, and she hurriedly stood aside, watching the kids run towards the ice cream stand with hunger on their faces.

The server gave her a friendly wave before he started scooping out ice cream for the kids. Feeling extremely embarrassed, Miku practically ran away from the ice cream stand, grateful to at least have her ice cream with her. She was going to have to warn Gumi about the servers recognising them.

* * *

"Hey, ice cream girl!" Miku blinked and looked up from her book as someone set their bag down next to her. She was at the cafeteria, looking through her assigned readings for her next class, and she was happily munching on an apple while she read. She had gotten her pocket money so now she was feeling pretty rich. Hopefully she wouldn't spend all the money within two weeks again…

She recognised the boy standing in front of her and immediately, her face flamed. It was the cute ice cream server from the wedding lunch last week. His blue eyes, the colour of the summer sky outside, were bright and cheery as ever. "Uh…hello," she managed to say, her brain shutting down at the sight of him. The boy smiled at her, sitting on the chair beside her and watching her. She fidgeted.

"Did you crash anymore weddings after last week?" he asked, humour in his voice. She shook her head mutely and his smile widened. "Aw, what a pity. I was hoping to see you again. There are lots of weddings around town right now, you know," he continued conversationally while she sat there, mute. "I think everyone's getting married now because it's summer and the weather is so good. I'm working for another wedding lunch this coming Wednesday. Maybe you could drop by that one as well," he laughed, and Miku had no idea if he was being serious or if he was just kidding around with her.

"What makes you think I wasn't invited to that wedding?" she defended herself, putting her apple down. The boy raised an eyebrow and gave her a droll look, and she instantly retreated, knowing that she had no way to back up what she just said. "We're _hungry_ , we're only poor students," she switched tracks instead, playing up the pitiful starving student act. The boy just rolled his eyes.

"Aren't we all?" he asked good-naturedly. "Besides, I couldn't care less. I'm only a server paid to give out food at the wedding. Who comes to take food from me is hardly important. I noticed you and your friend crashing lots of weddings, you know, and after some time it becomes really obvious that you're not on the guest list," he shook his head. "But honestly, if I was given the opportunity I'd probably do the exact same thing," he added, a wicked smile on his lips. "My name's Kagamine Len, and I'm a third-year here. I figured you'd be a university student too. What's your name?" he asked.

Miku felt her face warm. He was really gorgeous, and he was older than her, and he was interested in her enough to actually remember her face and ask her for her name. These all seemed like pretty good signs. "Hatsune Miku," she squeaked, hating the way her voice went higher when she spoke to him. "I'm a second-year here, Business Studies. What about you?" she turned her head away, trying to focus on her textbook instead of on him. But she saw him gazing into the distance with a contemplative look on his face, and found herself wondering what on earth he was thinking about.

"Business, huh?" he mused. "I must say that I'm not surprised, given what you and your friend are doing to get free food. You're going to go far in this field," he smiled crookedly. "Me, I'm in graphic design. Probably going to get myself into advertising or something," he scratched his head, and Miku stared in fascination as the sunlight shining through the windows hit his head at _just_ the right angle, giving his flaxen hair a beautiful glow. "But why are you crashing weddings? Why not just work and get more money?" he reasoned, tilting his head. "I hope I'm not bothering you or anything, by the way," he added, glancing at her textbook. Miku abruptly shut the book and pushed it away.

"No, you're not," she answered firmly, and saw his lips twitch as he tried to hold back his laughter. "I do have a job, but it's not really enough to support my spending habits," she explained, feeling a little embarrassed about her own financial situation. She really ought to be better at managing her money, given that both her parents were accountants… "Gumi – that's my friend, by the way – and I, we decided to gate-crash weddings after realising how easy it is to blend in with all the guests."

"Guess you didn't take into account the fact that the servers are usually all the same at these kinds of events," Len commented, the smirk on his face reminiscent of the smirk he gave her that fateful afternoon. She didn't respond to that, instead focusing hard on her half-eaten apple and trying to ignore the teasing look in his eyes. He was way too attractive for her to handle, and she wondered why he was talking to her. Was he just picking on her since he had noticed her at work?

"Could you stop bringing that up?" she muttered, her cheeks red. He laughed but complied to her request, changing the subject and asking her questions about her major, what she wanted to do in the future, what her past schools were like and other questions about herself. They chatted for quite a while, and before Miku knew it her break was up and it was time for her to go to class. She began to panic, shoving everything into her backpack and silently cursing the fact that she failed to get any of her readings done, and Len made way for her as she zipped up her bag and prepared to leave.

"Oh, but before you go, can I have your number?" he called out just as she took a step away from her table. She glanced back and unthinkingly rattled off her number while Len took it down on his phone, and he gave her a thumbs-up before she looked around and went on her way. It was only when she was rushing across campus that she realised exactly what she had done, and she groaned to herself, wondering why she had given her contact details out so readily. Well, at least Len was nice.

* * *

Len glanced at his girlfriend, who was digging into her tub of ice cream as she stared, transfixed by the horror movie playing on his screen. He was suddenly reminded of how they first met, and with a small smile he leant over and grabbed the tub of ice cream out of her hand. Miku hit his shoulder.

"Give…that…back!" she demanded, practically climbing over him in an attempt to get her ice cream back. Len laughed as he held it just out of reach, effortlessly evading her attempts to snatch the tub. Miku growled and, horror movie momentarily forgotten, she leapt onto his lap, scrabbling for the ice cream tub. Len fell back against the couch, trying to hold it as far away from himself as possible.

"Would you like some double chocolate chip ice cream again?" he choked out, trying not to laugh. Miku stiffened at those words, then abruptly she fell back against him, causing him to gasp as she knocked the breath out of his lungs. "Hey, you're getting heavy," he commented, setting the ice cream tub down on the table and wrapping his arms around her, nuzzling into her hair. Miku just sighed but said nothing in response, curling her toes and lying on him. He inhaled her scent.

"Stop bringing that up," Miku finally groaned, turning her head towards the screen and wincing as some crazy axeman tried to hack through a door. "Or I'm going to stop coming over to your house," she continued, reaching out to the table to grab her tub of ice cream. Len just grinned and ruffled her hair, and she complained while batting his hand away, opening the tub with her other hand.

He vividly remembered how they got together. Basically, he just asked her out on a date a few days after getting her number and, to his surprise, she agreed. They got along well – he brought her to an ice cream parlour on their first date, much to her chagrin – and Len thought that this relationship might actually lead somewhere. After a few more outings, Miku asked him whether he was currently seeing anyone else, and he told her no, that him seeing her was pretty much an exclusive thing.

Honestly, he didn't set out looking for a girlfriend or anything when he first spoke to her. He just remembered her as that girl who was constantly swiping free food from wedding lunches as an uninvited guest, and that just amused him so much that he thought it would be fun to mess around with her. He thought she might be a student from his school since she looked like she was around his age, and clearly luck was on his side since he managed to find her on campus within a week. Len hardly spent any time on campus, which made his sudden encounter with her even more surprising.

Miku was the kind of girl who was ridiculously easy to tease. It made her extremely cute, and the best thing was that she didn't even seem to notice how adorable she was. She did have a rather overprotective best friend he had to deal with, but once Gumi was certain that Len was a decent person she stepped back and stopped breathing over their shoulders all the time. Len's favourite thing to do was to bring up the time he served her ice cream, that sunny afternoon on a giant front yard. Now _that_ was something he'd never forget. Their relationship by itself may not be extremely unique or spectacular, but he was certain that the way they first met was pretty special.

"Are you even watching the show?" Miku, who was shovelling ice cream into her mouth by this point, looked up at him while he gazed thoughtfully at the ceiling. "I know you don't like horror movies but _you're_ the one who suggested watching this…" she continued, averting her gaze and staring at the screen again. Len made a face but didn't say a word, instead choosing to just hold her in his arms and idly watch the action onscreen. He found horror movies a bit dumb really, but Miku was a total horror junkie so he watched them with her, amusing himself by noticing all the loopholes and logic flaws that made horror movies so unrealistic. Miku said that she just liked the adrenaline rush of watching horror, which he understood – he'd just prefer to get an adrenaline kick from something else. Like maybe extreme sports or something. But Miku would never willingly participate in any kind of physical activity.

"I was just thinking that you're really cute, and I think I'm lucky to have you," he answered honestly. Miku clammed up, and he saw the pink tint that spread across her face as she registered what he said. He smiled, glad that even after one year together he could still make her blush so easily. He was in his final year now, and academically they were one year apart, but in every other aspect they were the same – Miku was actually his age, and was only one year below him in university because she hadn't managed to clear enough courses during her first year, so she was unable to move up.

She was so straightforward and honest, and she had no qualms about doing slightly questionable things to get what she wanted, like the sneaking into wedding parties thing – in other words, she was very… _real_ , which was a nice change from his exes. He only had two ex-girlfriends, and one of them had been a cheater while the other was a backstabbing liar who disappeared the moment he stopped forking out money to fund her expensive lifestyle. Sometimes, Len questioned his own life decisions. But Miku wasn't like them. She was decent and truthful, and he enjoyed that.

"It's not like you to suddenly get all mushy," she narrowed her eyes and squinted suspiciously at him. "Did you do something wrong, Len?" she continued, poking his ribs mercilessly. Len yelped and tried to squirm way, but she was sitting firmly on his chest and he couldn't move unless he tossed her off the sofa – something which he wouldn't do no matter how much tickle torture she put him through. So he just tried to push her hands away and avoid her until he was laughing uncontrollably, tears stinging his eyes. "Tell me what you did!" she threatened sweetly, still poking his sides.

Len successfully seized her hands and held them tightly together, preventing her from tickling him anymore. "Nothing," he gasped out, hot tears running down his face. "Is it against the law for me to show appreciation for my girlfriend, hmm? I mean, you're so resourceful – I know we're never going to starve since we can always just crash someone's wedding, right?" his lips curled up teasingly.

Miku gaped at him for a moment, then yanked her hands away from his grip and attacked him with renewed vigour. Len succumbed after a while, and the two of them just lay on the couch together, laughing breathlessly, the ice cream and the bad horror movie forgotten. Len would quite like to marry the girl staring down at him with those sparkling green eyes – he just hoped that no one would gate-crash their wedding lunch. Then again, it might lead to someone finding new love, the way he and Miku did. That would be a nice happily-ever-after.

* * *

 **A/N:** _Quick one-shot because nowadays I'm not really in the mood to write and maybe this will get me back on track. Kind of didn't know where I was going with this, it was the front part I was most interested in and the rest was written really hastily. Hopefully y'all will like it even though it's not super fleshed-out!_


	12. workplace romance

workplace romance

Hatsune Miku smiled as she leant over his shoulder, watching the screen as he excitedly showed her the new travel location he had just placed on his bucket list. "Isn't it super cool?" he chirped, his green eyes alight with mischief. "But I'll need to work a _lot_ to save up enough to fly there…"

Miku rolled her eyes. "You're already working almost every day," she pointed out. "Maybe you should just stop buying new shoes every time some new sneaker comes out. You have like, twenty pairs at home already," she punched him lightly on the shoulder, and he pretended to sulk.

"I thought you supported my shopping," he whined. "You're always complaining that I don't change my look enough! And now that I'm actually buying new clothes, you tell me to stop!" he got up from his chair, stretching himself and letting out a quiet moan of satisfaction. His shirt rose up slightly, showing off the barest hint of toned abs, and Miku averted her gaze, not wanting to stare too long.

"Yeah, well, there's a limit, and you're crossing that limit," she folded her arms across her chest, tilting her head up to meet his gaze. He was noticeably taller than her, a fact he couldn't help rubbing in her face whenever they teased each other about stuff. He smirked, and reached out to pat her the way one might pat a dog, shaking his head and tutting playfully. She narrowed her eyes.

"Miku, you need to lighten up a bit," he commented jovially. "Money is meant to be spent, right? And anyway, new kicks make me happy," he proudly raised his left foot, showing off his brand-new, all-black limited edition running shoes. Miku raised an eyebrow. She had seen advertisements for these shoes, and she knew it was a limited release sneaker which cost upwards of three hundred bucks. It was absolutely ridiculous – and she wasn't surprised that he had gotten his hands on a pair.

"How long did you queue up for this one?" she asked drily. He shrugged, his smirk becoming a little more guilty, and she pressed the issue, staring down at the shoes. "You don't even _run_ ," she pointed out, placing her hands on her hips now. He waved her comment away, turning back and spinning the chair between them around and around. There it was again – he was deliberately putting distance between them. And she knew exactly why he was doing so. It made her heart beat a little faster.

Because she had a boyfriend, and the both of them knew that it would be wrong to be so close to each other. But at the same time, there was an undeniable chemistry between the two of them that made it difficult for Miku to ignore his presence, and the possibility of what could happen between them. She tried not to think about it, and she knew he tried to ignore it too, but the simmering tension lay there as always, right beneath the surface of their playful, friendly interactions.

"Just overnight," he replied airily, his gaze cutting back to the computer screen. Tourist photographs still covered the display. By right, they were supposed to be working right now, but they had finished sorting through all the new stock and their manager wasn't around to oversee them, being on her lunch break, so they were just messing around in the backroom. It was going to be their lunch break soon anyway. It was a weekday, so the store was pretty empty, and they were bored to death.

" _Overnight_?" she spluttered, staring at him as though he was out of his mind – and to her, he _was_ pretty much insane. She would never queue up overnight for anything, let alone a pair of overpriced, overhyped sneakers. "Um, is that why you were still active on Facebook at five in the morning the day they were released? I thought you were just so excited that you couldn't sleep – I didn't know that you were out there queueing for them, you madman!" she exclaimed, rolling her eyes again.

He pouted. "Well, you would have just scolded me if I told you I was queueing for them…" he leant back against the table, scratching his head. He gave her a charming, boyish grin that made her heart skip a beat. She knew that he was aware of the sizzling, unacknowledged tension that lay between the two of them, but did he know the effect he had upon her? It wasn't fair that her co-worker was so damn attractive, and so damn _single_. It was almost too good to be true – and actually, it was.

Because unfortunately, she was the one who was stuck with a boyfriend who could hardly care less about her. She knew that Kaito wasn't _that_ into her anymore, and to be honest she wasn't even sure why they were still together. But her parents thought Kaito was a great guy and she didn't want to disappoint them – he was well-off, from a respectable family with plenty of old money, and he was studying medicine and was top of his class year after year. He was also really good-looking, which was definitely a bonus, but Miku could tell that their attraction was waning. The initial buzz of a new relationship had worn off, and as time went on, the more she grew aware of their incompatibility.

Miku was anything but respectable. Of course, she wasn't some delinquent who went around getting herself into trouble, but she was aware of her own shortcomings and she knew that she would never fit into Kaito's elitist world. Shion Kaito's parents were nice enough to her, but they were distant, as though they saw her more like an interesting pet than as their son's girlfriend. And the only reason why she and Kaito were together was because they got paired together during some dumb game at freshman orientation camp and they had been physically attracted to each other.

They got together three days after the camp ended, which Miku honestly regretted – Kaito would make a wonderful friend, but they had dived straight into a romantic relationship and it was now too late to remove herself from it. If they had spent more time getting to know each other then maybe they would have realised they wouldn't fit well together, but here they were, stuck in a relationship where neither party was willing to hurt the other, each waiting for the other to make the first move.

Kaito belonged to the world of old money, rich banquets, formal black tie events and red carpets. His family was one of the richest in the country. Miku, on the other hand, got into his school because she was smart enough to score a scholarship, but she didn't have the money or upbringing, or the _desire_ to fit into his world. She was a simple person with simple tastes – she wanted someone who could make her laugh and feel loved, and the distant, professional Kaito was hardly fit for the job.

The entire school knew she and Kaito were together though. No surprise there, since Kaito was pretty much famous. Girls talked about how lucky she was, to get a handsome, rich, charming, smart boyfriend like Shion Kaito. Little did they know how suffocated she felt in this relationship, having to constantly wear a mask of happiness and security so that his parents wouldn't look down upon her. She couldn't help but feel inferior, and she worried that people whispered about how she was a gold-digger who was only with Kaito for his money. She knew that some people thought that way.

Her co-worker, who also happened to be from her university, already knew her name the first day she came to work here. But he was surprisingly casual around her – most people kind of stiffened up and left her alone when they realised she was _the_ Hatsune Miku, but he just treated her like she was any other person, and before long she found herself relaxing around him. He never gave her the feeling that he was judging her for her relationship – he never once asked how she, someone so mundane and ordinary, could be with someone who was so wealthy and decidedly upper-class.

Miku kind of found herself wishing that Kaito would break up with her one day, but it had been four months since they started going out and he still had yet to say anything about the status of their relationship. She didn't want to make the first move – she was terrified of the repercussions of that. Who knew what rumours might spread if it was discovered that Hatsune Miku broke up with the rich, desirable scion of their school, Shion Kaito? And her parents would be devastated by the loss of someone so eligible. She felt boxed in by these expectations – society's, her parents', and her own.

"Oi, Hatsune Miku, were you listening to a single word I was saying?" an irate voice snapped her out of her trance, and she blinked, shaking her head and looking at her co-worker. He was twirling a pen around his fingers, one perfectly-arched eyebrow raised in amusement. "You need to stop blanking out all the time. I swear I caught you stoning when we were crossing the road once – it was bloody terrifying. I don't know how Kaito puts up with you," he laughed, setting the pen back down.

She flinched at the mention of her boyfriend's name. It was hard to hear her co-worker bringing him up, when there was so much more attraction between her and him than between her and Kaito. She wondered how he felt as well, whenever he said Kaito's name. Miku knew perfectly well that he was attracted to her. When they were at an employee gathering once, he had a bit too much to drink and, while playing truth-or-dare, he blurted out that he had a crush on someone at work. After some further questioning, he finally admitted that it was Miku, not knowing that she was within earshot.

Miku never brought that incident up. She didn't know if he remembered what he said, since he _was_ pretty dead drunk by the end of the night, but ever since then she couldn't help but feel on edge whenever she was around him, especially when it was just the two of them alone. He regarded her now with his light green eyes, the teasing smirk slowly becoming uncertain, almost questioning. "Hey, Miku?" he asked, stepping a little closer to her. "You okay?" he peered down at her, leaning slightly closer so she could smell the scent of his cologne. Her breath hitched, and she looked down.

She felt light fingers gently touch her chin, tipping it back up, and she stiffened, her heart practically racing in her chest. Green eyes, lighter than her own – they reminded her of a meadow in spring, the flowers in full bloom – pierced into hers, concern on his face. "I'm fine!" she blurted out, instinctively taking a step back so that his fingers fell away from her chin. She wasn't sure if she imagined the flash of disappointment that went through his eyes when she retreated, and she had to scold herself – she was in a relationship, so they shouldn't be this close to each other. They both knew that.

"Well, if you say so," his voice betrayed no hint of disappointment, sounding as upbeat and jovial as ever. He was always such a joker – he could make her laugh so easily, but he also knew when to be serious and when she actually wanted to have a proper conversation. His intuitiveness made him so different from Kaito – Kaito sometimes had no idea when she was bored out of her mind, listening to him rambling on and on about his new project or about some stuffy meeting he had to attend the other day. Sure, as his girlfriend she knew she ought to be interested in what he had to say, but Kaito really didn't know where the boundaries were. There was once she fell asleep and he _still_ continued talking!

"We should make sure the stocks all tally, so we don't get yelled at or anything when the manager is back," she babbled, turning away from him and squatting beside one of the opened boxes. She had a job in a chocolate shop, and right now a new shipment of goods had come in, so she was supposed to restock the shelves while he ensured that the quantities were correct and nothing was missing.

"We checked like, five times already," he sighed exaggeratedly, and she stiffened again when she sensed his presence behind her, watching her inquisitively as she started to count the little plastic containers once more. "I feel like you're avoiding me now," he sounded teasing, but at the same time there was a serious undertone to his words and she ducked her head, staring into the box.

"I have a boyfriend," she whispered, the words sounding so accusatory that she regretted them the instant they left her mouth. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that she hadn't ruined their easy friendship with her careless utterance, and for a moment there was nothing but silence. It was _so_ quiet, one could have heard a pin drop. She couldn't even hear him breathing. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say that!" she hastily exclaimed, quickly rising from her position and blindly backing away.

Fingers wrapped around her arm and she stilled, reluctantly looking up at her co-worker. He stared at her, eyes hooded, for once no trace whatsoever of any good humour on his face. She met his gaze for a second, found that she couldn't hold it, and abruptly glanced away. But once more his fingers tilted her chin and she found herself gazing deep into his eyes. Her heart palpitated in her chest.

"I know you have a boyfriend," he answered simply. "We both know. That's why I haven't said or done anything that would be suspicious – I normally wouldn't even work alone with you, but the employee roster stuck us together today…" he glanced at the said roster hanging behind them for just a second before his gaze darted back to meet hers. His face was unsmiling. "But does having a boyfriend mean that you can't be friends with other guys? If that's the case, just say so, and I'll back off. I'd never try to make you uncomfortable or put you in a difficult position," he promised.

"No, it's not that I can't be friends with the opposite sex!" she squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head sharply, feeling immensely confused. She was so tempted to admit her attraction to him, but her duties as a daughter and towards her relationship, no matter how unhappy she was in it, made her pause. She and Kaito had little to no feelings for each other, she was sure of that, but her parents…it was the disappointment that she knew would flash across their faces which made her stop. They had worked so hard to get her into university, to ensure that she wouldn't have any problems scoring on her tests and exams. Her family was poor, and her parents worked really hard. Often, they went without food so that she wouldn't have to experience the same hunger as them. They sacrificed so much for her.

She didn't want to disappoint them. They really thought that her marrying Kaito would solve all their problems, and while she was bitter about their supposed lack of faith in her own ability to succeed in life, she knew where they were coming from. She wasn't taking engineering, sciences or any other ' _money-making_ ' kind of major. She was taking Performing Arts with a minor in Gender Studies. That hardly seemed like the kind of degree which would give her an exceptional income. They thought that, if she married Kaito, she would never have to worry about money again. She appreciated their sentiments, she really did, but she'd like to think that she could succeed on her own merits too…

Yet she was too afraid to disappoint them and stand up to their expectations. She was a miracle baby of sorts, born to her long-childless parents when they were in their forties and had long given up on having a child of their own. They doted on her, and they wanted the best for her, although their thinking was a little…old-fashioned, and they still thought that it was important to marry a good, wealthy, respectable man to ensure that she would have a comfortable life. Her relationship was the last thing she wanted to argue with her parents about. But then…what about her own happiness?

"Then what's the problem?" he probed, his voice surprisingly gentle. It was the first time she heard him sounding so… _soft_. He was a fun guy, humorous and flippant, and he hardly sounded concerned about people. Of course, he would be worried if she did something to get herself into trouble, but this was a different sort of concern. She couldn't put a name to it. She fidgeted, feeling like she had just backed herself into a corner. How was she supposed to explain her situation to her co-worker?

He might think she was a gold-digger like so many other people if he found out that…well, the only reason why she was still with Kaito was, simply put, because of his money. Sure, it was because her parents wanted it, but she was the coward who was too afraid to speak up and chase her own happiness. Her limitless possibilities and futures, so close yet so far, stared back at her in the form of a charming boy with green eyes and worry all over his face. She wanted to say that she liked him too, and she wanted to admit that she didn't feel anything for her boyfriend. But her tongue was mute.

"I know you know that I like you," he spoke out of the blue, startling her. She blinked at him, unsure if she had imagined his words, but he looked perfectly serious. "I might have been drunk that night, but I remember what happened perfectly well. I know you were in the room when we were playing truth-or-dare. But you never said anything, and you didn't avoid me afterwards, so…I didn't know if you were okay with me having a crush on you or if you were just pretending that nothing happened. I'm just glad that you didn't avoid me afterwards, although you have Kaito," his eyes were hooded.

Unbidden, her cheeks warmed. For that moment, she forgot that they were in the backroom of a chocolate shop and that there were probably cameras watching them. She flung herself forward and threw her arms around him, nestling her head against the hollow of his neck. He remained still for a moment, probably in shock, while she stood there with her eyes shut, praying that she wouldn't be abruptly pushed away. A few seconds later, she felt hesitant arms wrap around her carefully, and he placed his chin on the top of her head, tucking her against him. They fit together so well…

Kaito was too tall. When they hugged – _if_ they hugged – she barely even reached his chest. Now, this boy was taller than her, but not _too_ tall, and she could lean against his chest and hear the sound of his heart beating. The ' _thump_ ' of his heart was nice and grounding, but his heart was beating so fast too – maybe even faster than hers. "You know, you confuse me sometimes," she heard him whisper.

"I really like you," she admitted in a rush, deciding to speak before she lost her nerve. "I really like you, Nakajima Gumo! But I have a boyfriend…" her words trailed off, the sentence feeling just like cold water being thrown against her face. She made to withdraw, but his arms tightened around her and she looked up at him, gnawing on her bottom lip. He was staring down at her, a faint smile on his face, and she thought he never looked more recklessly, mischievously beautiful than at this very moment.

"But the fact that you like me means something, right?" he asked, tilting his head. She nodded mutely, not willing to divulge her confusing reasoning at the moment, and he placed his chin on the top of her head once more. Her eyes closed as he began to rock her gently, the two of them swaying from side to side together, and suddenly she felt at peace. "I won't press you for more right now. I know it's probably really confusing, and you're not sure what to think or say. But since I know that you have feelings for me…I'm not going to just stay away and pretend I don't feel anything for you," he murmured into her ear. A shiver ran down her spine. "It sucks to keep a respectable distance away from someone when all you want to do is flirt with them and tease them, and get right into their personal space so you can see the pink spread across their face…oops, I've said too much."

She hit him on the shoulder, blushing furiously. Did he really like teasing her that much? Sometimes, Gumo would slink really close to her and say something semi-flirtatious before abruptly pulling away, as though he had forgotten his place. Those jibes and the playful teasing he subjected her to was the first thing that tipped her off about his possible attraction to her, even before the drunken truth-or-dare that revealed everything. At first, she thought he was just really flirtatious, but then she realised that he only got this close with her, and there was none of that same simmering tension between him and the other girls at work. She had felt a selfish sense of relief at that observation.

"I'll wait," he promised, letting go of her and edging away, glancing nervously around the room as though he had just remembered that they were at work. But he gave her a small smile, a warm smile that somehow felt different from his usual dazzling grins. "I'll wait as long as you need to think everything through. But if this ends up being some impulsive thing…" he shrugged. "I guess I can pretend things never changed too," he smiled again, but the smile looked off. She knew he wasn't really happy.

"No, I'll…I'll do something. It's not fair to just leave you hanging," she promised, toying with her fingers and resisting the urge to turn away, hiding her face behind her hands. She was a coward. She knew she was, and she had never denied that fact, but at this moment she never hated herself more for being so afraid of disappointing people – she didn't want to disappoint her parents, but watching Gumo look at her with that forced smile on his face was almost too much to bear. He laughed.

"Hey, don't stress over it!" and suddenly he was back to his normal joking self, patting her head as though they just had one of their normal casual conversations instead of…a semi-confession? "I mean, I'd kind of be a third party if you and Kaito…don't last, and I don't want to be an outsider in your relationship, so…" he shrugged again. "Let fate do what it will, yeah?" he backed away.

Miku struggled to come up with a decent reply, and in the end she just settled for nodding, the tips of her fingers going numb with nervousness. Gumo looked, for one quick second, very conflicted, but then he went back to the desktop and started looking through more photos of his dream travel spots and everything was back to normal…well, almost. The romantic tension continued to sizzle between them, though she tried not to pay any attention to it, hoping that everything would turn out fine.

* * *

Nakajima Gumo knew perfectly well that it wasn't nice to have a crush on someone who already had a boyfriend. It wasn't nice to come between them and split the couple up. And Miku and Kaito were practically a dream couple – everyone in school thought they were absolutely perfect together.

And why wouldn't they think that? Miku's relationship with Kaito let everyone else think that it was possible to have a fairy-tale ending. Miku's relationship seemed almost too good to be true – a girl from a poverty-stricken family running into the rich young man who promised to take her away from all her material troubles and offer her only happiness. It was practically something out of a soap opera. And Gumo knew that in terms of material wealth or status, he had nothing compared to Shion Kaito.

But at the same time, he knew that Miku wasn't the kind of person who particularly cared for wealth or riches. She valued experience and relationships more than she did material possessions. He knew that she'd rather receive a handmade card than expensive jewellery as a present – something that proved thought went into the gift, something which would remind her of the effort put into making the thing, remind her of the strength of the relationship. Maybe her background raised her to be a humble girl, but he found that aspect of her to be particularly down-to-earth and…well, attractive.

It was refreshing to see someone so grounded, yet at the same time she was such a dreamer. She wanted to change the world with performing arts and theatre, and she wanted to fight for justice and equality for everyone – the disabled, women, minorities. She believed in true equality, but she was too frightened to stand up against the status quo. She was terrified of being a disappointment, so she squashed her dreams and tried to do whatever she could to make the people around her happy. She constantly sacrificed for others, but he wished she would just think for herself once.

Gumo remembered there was once he was rushing to school because he was late for class, while Miku didn't have any lessons that day. He realised he forgot to take his assignment that was due in the later part of the afternoon, and casually mentioned it to Miku while complaining about how badly his day was going so far. Miku, upon hearing that, rushed out of her house to his, which was on the other side of town, then went all the way to their campus, which was a one hour drive away from his house. She arrived during his lunch break, panting since she ran all the way from the front gates of the campus to the south cafeteria, and he just stared at her in shock while she handed him his homework, flashing him a tired peace sign while doing so. She was so selfless that it hurt him.

She would bend over backwards to please someone else, but what about her own desires, her own wishes? Didn't her own happiness matter at all to her? It was something he never could quite figure out about her. Initially, her passiveness had actually annoyed him quite a bit, though he continued to joke around with her and be friendly since they _were_ co-workers after all – and as time went by and he started to pick apart the many layers that made up Hatsune Miku, he found that she was a whole lot more complex than he initially pegged her down to be. In truth, his very first impression of Miku was that she was some snob, since she had a scholarship and was dating one of the richest guys in their school. He had dismissed her even before knowing her, convinced she had nothing to offer.

But he noticed that the way she talked, the way she moved, _everything_ about her didn't give off any feeling of superiority. In fact, she seemed to be cowed by everything, saying yes to everyone with a bright smile and shining eyes. He soon learnt that this forced happiness was just a mask to hide the true confusion and uncertainty the girl felt inside – she had no idea what she wanted to do, what she wanted out of her life. She didn't know if she ought to make the ones close to her happy, or if she should be selfish and chase her own dreams. Gumo knew her dreams – she wanted to be an actress, performing in Broadway and touching the lives of the audience with her performances. But her parents just wanted her to marry Kaito because he was a doctor, he was rich, he was safe and stable.

Personally, Gumo thought that it was a little too soon to be discussing marriage since Miku and Kaito had only been dating for a few months, but from the rare mentions Miku made regarding her parents and her relationship with Kaito, it seemed that her parents were convinced that they were going to last. Gumo didn't think that she still had any real feelings for Kaito – her eyes didn't light up when she spoke his name, and she sometimes seemed to almost forget that he was her boyfriend, occasionally talking about some rumours with Gumo and giggling about how nice Kaito would look with some other girl. Then she would catch herself, remembering that she was his girlfriend.

He didn't know when he fell for her, the timid girl who was too afraid to stand up for herself and govern her own life. He never thought he _would_ like someone like her – he was an adventurous, determined spirit, and he believed in going straight for whatever it was he wanted, as long as it was within reasonable means to do so. He was the opposite of Miku, who always thought about other people's responses to her actions before she made any move. Gumo did whatever he wanted with careless abandon, confident in the knowledge that his own opinion was all that mattered.

But one day he was listening to her talking animatedly about her major and her passion for acting and the big stage, her eyes sparkling, her hands moving quickly as she tried to describe a particular scene to him, and he realised that he was attracted to _her_. He liked the part of her that was filled with ardent passion and desire, the Miku who longed to break free and chase her dreams. And at the same time, despite his initial impatience with her lack of determination and her reluctance to upset anyone who mattered to her, he found that he cared about her as well – he didn't want her to feel conflicted about anything. And that was the main reason why he never made any move on her.

The Gumo who only thought about himself would have done so, chasing her without a care in the world. He would have gotten close to her and made her fall in love and whispered sweet nothings in her ear, convincing her to leave her boyfriend for him, pressing her wavering conviction until she was well and truly broken, torn apart by her duties and her self-imposed responsibilities. The old Gumo would have thought only about what _he_ could get out of their relationship. He would never have considered Miku's feelings, the pain she might feel because of her broken decisions.

But she had changed him. She made him more patient, more understanding. She displayed raw passion rarely, but the rarity of those expressions made every single time even more impactful, and he thought that she was at her most beautiful, her most intense, when she talked about what she loved. Her careful nature influenced him as well, making him slightly more cautious, and she taught him how to be considerate of other people's feelings. He cared about Miku, and he didn't want to put her in a difficult spot…so he didn't do anything to make it obvious that he cared about her in a way mere friends weren't supposed to care. But that was only until he got drunk at that outing…

He sighed, leaning his head back against the alley wall. He took a long swig out from his beer can, frowned when it got empty, then crumpled up the can and tossed it in the nearby trash can, a little prick of pride blooming through him when he scored a perfect shot. He swore he wouldn't drink any more after that disastrous, stupid truth-or-dare incident, but what happened earlier this afternoon was shocking enough that he decided he could break his oath for once. Miku had hugged him, and she admitted that she returned his feelings, that the attraction was mutual…but he knew, they both knew, that she wouldn't break up with Kaito. At least not yet. Her parents would be unhappy.

Nakajima Gumo was no angel, especially in comparison to Kaito. Miku didn't know, but he used to be a wild hooligan in his youth, his freedom-loving spirit getting him into all kinds of trouble. He was just lucky that he never actually got himself stuck in jail or a Boy's Home, though he did get warned and forced to do community service quite a few times in the past. He was a public nuisance, he used to shoplift whenever he felt the urge to, he skateboarded and did parkour, anything to get his next thrill. He was a total adrenaline junkie, and his methods occasionally strayed into illegal territory.

He had, of course, mellowed down over the years, but that eternal restlessness stayed within him, burning like a bright flame. It made him so different from Miku, who was sedentary and fixed – while she was content to remain in the status quo, he wanted things to change. He wanted to be the flame, the spark that would set things in motion. He wished Miku would learn to appreciate herself more and stop sacrificing when she got absolutely nothing in return. She was a complete doormat.

"Gumo?" he heard her familiar voice calling out hesitantly for him, and he groaned, sliding further down the wall. He didn't want her to see him this way – drinking, alone, lost in his thoughts. He was always happy and teasing around her, determined not to let her see his vulnerable side. But what was the point? She had already seen this side of him before once. One time, when he ran away from home and she sheltered him for a few hours before convincing him to go back and apologise to his parents for his outburst. Her parents weren't home at that time, thankfully. He didn't want to think what sort of impression they would have of him otherwise. His lips tilted up into a crooked smile.

"I knew you were here," soft footsteps sounded, then a familiar figure crouched next to him, her dark green eyes filled with concern as she self-consciously looped some teal hair behind her ear. He stared woozily at her, tempted to reach out and brush those silky locks away from her forehead so he could see her face better, but he didn't act on that impulse, telling himself to wait for her to make the first move. He didn't want to startle her. "You weren't home, so I figured you'd be drinking…"

"Nah, I wasn't drinking," he lied blithely, winking at her. He could hold his drink pretty well, but even then Miku squinted suspiciously at him, perhaps not entirely convinced. He rolled his eyes, patting her lightly on the shoulder. "Don't be so worried. Anyway, why were you looking for me?" he asked, curious now. Miku's face turned a little pink and she rocked back on her heels, looking at the ground.

"Um…it's about this afternoon," her voice was so soft that he almost couldn't hear her. "You know, I was thinking about what happened and…and maybe for now we should just leave things as they are," she blurted out, her words so earnest that he couldn't bring himself to be upset at her. He already knew, on some level, that this was the decision she would make. It was no surprise. She was still too careful, too timid to do anything that would offend anyone. "I'm so sorry…I really like you, I really do," she sounded like she was about to sob, "but I don't want to hurt anyone else – I know you're probably really angry at me and you have all right to be mad, so I just want to apologise…"

He interrupted her midway, not wanting to hear her sniffling. "Hey, hey," he soothed, reaching out to rub his hand comfortingly against her back. She was shaking slightly, but she calmed down at his touch. "I already kind of expected this, if that makes you feel any better. So no, I'm not angry at you," he reassured her. He was telling the truth. Slightly disappointed, perhaps, but he wasn't going to admit that to her – it would just make her feel even worse. "It wouldn't be right for me to go after you anyway. But I want you to be happy, all right? C'mon, give me a smile," he persuaded her, sticking his fingers up against her mouth and forcing her lips upwards. She let out a shaky laugh.

"You're always so silly, even in situations like this," she scolded, shaking her head. Gumo rolled his eyes, concealing the pain he felt with practiced ease, and watched as her green eyes lightened up a little, relief flooding her expression. He felt a twinge within his chest, but he didn't focus on it – if he thought about it now, he might just break down in front of her. "You're an amazing person, Gumo," her voice was tremulous. "And maybe…maybe one day, just one day, I'll finally be brave," she quietly spoke, admitting to both of them that she was too afraid to make the final leap over the edge.

He closed his eyes, leaning his forehead against hers. "Maybe one day," he agreed, his voice just as quiet as hers. "I'll wait, no matter how long that day takes to come," he promised, surprising himself at how genuine his words sounded. Miku laughed, and that one moment seemed to stretch out into eternity. He didn't want to speak and break the spell, but eventually she moved away from him.

"I'll see you at work tomorrow, Gumo," she promised, rising from the alley floor and brushing off her dark skirt. Then she held out a hand towards him, and he stared quizzically at it, meeting her gaze. She smiled. "Come on, let's go back," she chirped, proffering her hand once more. Hesitantly, Gumo reached out to her hand and let her pull him up from the dusty ground, squinting his eyes against the orange light of the setting sun. He didn't realise that it was already getting so late.

"I love you, you know," the broken whisper slipped out from his lips against his will, and it took a few seconds before he registered what he had said. He immediately wanted to take his words back, especially when Miku didn't say anything for a moment. But then suddenly she turned back to look at him and she squeezed his hand tightly, a small smile on her face. He felt slightly reassured by that.

One day, she might return those words, and he wouldn't be waiting here alone against the sunset for her, this timid girl who had his heart clutched loosely in her hands. He would wait – he had never been a patient person, but she was changing him, and he would be patient for her. He would wait however long she wanted him to wait, and maybe one day, the long wait might finally pay off.

* * *

 **A/N** : _I was trying to channel 'Neverland' Gumo, but it didn't turn out that way. I don't know what happened. This doesn't even fit my Gumo headcanon - among my personal headcanons, the tragic, impulsive character with a shady past is usually Nero or Rei...oh well._


	13. attention

attention

Yamaha Yuma sighed, drinking from his beer can while he watched his friends hitting on girls across the table. Gumo and Ian usually didn't even have to try that hard to get numbers anyway.

"You still thinking about her?" a sympathetic voice sounded from behind him, and Yuma glanced around, meeting Utatane Piko's concerned, heterochromatic eyes. He always found his friend's eyes to be strangely unnerving, as though those dual coloured eyes were capable of piercing into his mind and reading his every thought. He knew Piko wasn't a mind reader or anything, but he was still very intuitive and the whole thing just made it very unsettling. He swallowed, putting the beer down.

"No, I'm not," he muttered. He didn't have the guts to admit otherwise anyway. It was kind of _his_ fault they broke up, after all. To anyone else, it might have seemed like an amiable, mutual decision, but Yuma knew he was the one who initiated the whole thing. She wouldn't have left him unless he asked it of her, if he hadn't one day casually mentioned that he felt their relationship was becoming stagnant and maybe they should start seeing other people. And to his utter surprise, she agreed.

Of course, she had protested a little, but when he pressed the issue she finally conceded, saying that it might be nice to finally take a break. Their break lasted for weeks, and in the end they officially broke up, both of them too exhilarated with their newfound freedom to even consider shackling themselves to each other once more. But the thrill of being newly single quickly wore off for him.

It didn't help that she was still such a huge presence in his life. People asked about their breakup, and whatever she said didn't make it seem too positive for him – he had mutual friends coming up to him in shock, asking him when he became this total douchebag who would dump an innocent girl just because he got bored. It wasn't a _lie_ , but he was certain that she omitted the part where _she_ said okay to the arrangement as well. It hadn't exactly been a one-sided decision…not entirely, anyway.

He called her a few times, intending to get her to stop spreading stupid rumours and tarnishing his reputation – he thought he was a pretty decent guy, and it was just bad luck that their relationship didn't work out. But she never picked up his calls, and after a while he was sure that she blocked his number. But that didn't take her out of his life at all, because she kept going to parties now, when the girl Yuma used to date would never have attended a single social activity if she could help it.

She showed up at most of the parties he went to, and he would see her from across the room, green eyes sultrily made up, wearing a skin-tight black dress that hugged every slender curve in the most sinful way imaginable. She never dressed that way while they were still together, preferring to stay in a comfy old shirt and shorts most of the time, with the barest hint of makeup if she had to wear any at all. The worst thing was that she was perfectly aware of his gaze. Sometimes, he wondered if she was purposely dressing up and attending all these parties because she _knew_ he would be there, and she wanted to prove a point – to gloat? To get his attention? If that was the case, she succeeded.

Everything she did was capturing his attention now. The rumours – well, not really rumours, but gossip nevertheless – that she was spreading about him and their breakup, her constant presence at the parties he always attended, her dressing and her new bold confidence – everything caught his eye, and he hated it. But what he hated even more was the way other guys would laugh with her while she trailed a single, slim finger down their shoulder, her palm lingering on their arms. He hated how other hands wrapped around her waist, this tempting seductress whom he once called his own. Why was it that she only behaved this way after they broke up? Why would she change?

They had been a couple for two years. Everyone thought they were going to last. But Yuma had gotten bored, and maybe he spoke too soon when he suggested taking a break from each other. Because now he regretted his decision – his ex-girlfriend purposely flirting with other guys right in front of his face was probably karma coming back to bite him in the ass – and nothing he did would change his situation, bring them back to what they used to be. He didn't even bother talking to her since it'd just be a waste of time.

She didn't want his love. She didn't want his heart, though they both knew she had it once, and she probably still owned it. All she wanted was his attention, and he wasn't quite sure why. Was it just because she hated the thought of him with someone new? He was absolutely certain that she was out to make sure he would never get over her, by behaving in a way she normally wouldn't, a way that she knew would attract him. It was too late, he was too late, and he was now stuck watching her with other boys when once upon a time, it was _his_ hands upon her waist, _his_ lips against hers…

"Sure, you're not," Piko didn't sound very convinced despite his words. "Like you haven't been staring in her general direction the past twenty minutes…you're just a little bit obvious, Yuma. I thought you said you didn't want to grant her the satisfaction of letting her know she's getting under your skin," his friend questioned. Yuma let out a soft growl of frustration, crushing his emptied beer can in his fist and tossing it at the trash can. It missed, the can dropping onto the floor, but he ignored it.

"Well, she _is_ getting under my skin, and she knows it pretty damn well," he bit out. "I don't know what the hell she's doing. _She_ agreed to the breakup – it's not like it wasn't a mutual decision, yet here she is, flirting with other guys right in front of me!" he exclaimed. "It's not like it's been a long time since we separated. It's only been like, three weeks since we officially split? Can't she have the decency to wait a little longer before she starts getting it on with someone else?" he hissed.

"Whoa, you need to chill," Piko hastily attempted to calm him down, and Yuma narrowed his eyes at him warningly, causing the silver haired boy to retreat slightly in trepidation. "Since you said that she was okay with the breakup, then maybe she was bored of the relationship as well so she just…moved on earlier than you. Who knows?" he shrugged, trying to sound like the neutral party. Yuma snorted.

"Yeah, right," he muttered scathingly. "Her _friends_ sent me a shitload of messages last weekend about how she was still crying her heart out over our breakup. Crying? I couldn't tell, seeing how right now she's laughing and fooling around with Sakine Meito," his gaze cut towards the pair, standing at the opposite side of the room, cooing and making puppy eyes at each other. Yuma was legitimately sickened by this very public display of affection. Just moments earlier, she had been flirting with Megurine Luki. Was she trying to earn a reputation for being a whore or something?

Hatsune Miku, school whore. Two things that just didn't go together. Miku was supposed to be a _good_ girl. She never did anything too wild, too out of the ordinary. Yuma was the party-goer who would do anything if offered enough incentive to do so. Which was why it simply didn't make sense that she was out here, at Akita Neru's house party, drinking and laughing and basically flirting with any guy who approached her. As he watched, Neru's older brother, Nero, approached Miku and Meito, and the pair welcomed him with open arms, Miku turning her sultry green eyes upon him.

Yuma couldn't stand it. Was it just because he admitted that he was bored of their relationship, in the past? Did she change herself so drastically because of that stupid comment? He didn't know how he felt about this new Miku – yeah, he wasn't her boyfriend anymore and she was free to do what she wanted with her life, but this _wasn't_ her. If he didn't have any relation to her prior to this he'd probably be pretty damn attracted to her right now, but since he did care for her at one point – scratch that, honestly he still cared – the way she was currently behaving perturbed him quite a bit.

At that moment, Nakajima Gumo popped up in his line of vision, waving his hand in front of his face. Piko was nowhere to be seen, probably swept up into the crowd – he was a pretty good deejay, so Neru must have convinced him to play a set because the music suddenly changed, becoming more techno. That was decidedly Piko's style, compared to Neru's usual bubble-gum pop. Yuma blinked. "You need to stop spacing out all the time," Gumo commented dryly, his arm slung around some new girl who giggled when Yuma turned his gaze upon her. She had light pink hair and eyes that reminded him of cherries. He vaguely remembered her from last year's class…Furukawa Miki.

"I wasn't spacing out," he argued weakly, knowing that he couldn't deny this but refusing to admit that his attention was drifting – especially since it was due to Hatsune Miku. Though his friends probably already knew what his thoughts were focused upon. "I was just thinking about…my grades and stuff. I really need to get a better GPA," he rolled his eyes, trying to seem as casual as possible. Gumo frowned.

"Yeah, like you ever cared about your GPA…" the green haired boy threw back, shaking his head. "Why don't you just go and talk to her, since you're so damn angry about all those other guys? Stop denying that you're mad," he added when Yuma opened his mouth. "It's so obvious that even Ian asked me about it just now, and Ian is probably the most oblivious person I've ever met. He didn't even know you two broke up until four days ago, so…" his words trailed away into uneasy silence.

"Talk to _her_?" Yuma spluttered. Miki, who seemed bored with their exchange, whispered something in Gumo's ear and drifted off elsewhere, probably to dance with the other girls. Gumo smirked, which made Yuma wonder what the cherry haired girl had said to him – maybe they would get down and dirty together after the party tonight. The thought of his friend's sex life was just a little disturbing, so Yuma chose to stop thinking about it. "You're out of your mind. She's my _ex_ , not my goddamn best friend or something. We're hardly on speaking terms right now," he concluded.

Gumo narrowed his green eyes at him. It was like looking at himself in the mirror – Gumo and Yuma looked very different, but their eyes were the same. Their green eyes were the exact same shade of light green, the same pair of almond shaped eyes that crinkled a little at the edges when they were smiling. And when he narrowed his eyes at him, Yuma thought, for just a moment, that he was once again berating himself in the mirror for being a stupid moron and letting go of his ex-girlfriend.

Miku wasn't an awful girlfriend; in fact, she was pretty much the opposite of a terrible date. She was supportive of all his endeavours, but she gave him space when he needed it. She was affectionate, but not overly so, which was great since one of his previous exes was so clingy that she often draped herself all over him, like a wet carpet or something. The only flaw that he could think of was her very frustrating inconsistency – Miku was extremely fickle-minded, changing her mind about things within minutes of making a decision. But that fickle-mindedness never applied to serious things like their relationship together. Miku was always very steadfast in her feelings and loyalties towards him.

He had simply been bored. There was really no other reason why he chose to break up with her. He was tired of always coming back to the same girl; he was tired of how predictable their relationship had become. He longed for a change, and thought that separation would be a good idea then – after all, if it was true love, then he wouldn't be feeling bored, right? And he assumed that the boredom was a mutual feeling since Miku had conceded surprisingly easily. In hindsight, he was actually rather surprised that she hadn't fought or cried more for them to stay together. She gave in so…easily.

"Doesn't mean the two of you can't talk," Gumo pointed out. "Otherwise you'll just be stuck here, glaring daggers at her the whole night and basically making yourself miserable. And don't drag the rest of us down, we're here to have fun," Gumo glanced back towards the crowd, where Ian was slow-dancing with Yuma's cousin, Yamaha Mizki. Yuma thought that was kind of disgusting to watch.

"I'm not going to talk to her while she's flirting with Meito and Nero," Yuma retorted, folding his arms across his chest and leaning against the table. He had chosen to stand behind the table with all the food and beer because it gave him a fairly decent hiding spot – he could look at others, but most people wouldn't even notice him. At least that was what he thought. His friends were proving him wrong, since they seemed to be able to find him so easily.

"Just go," Gumo sighed, shoving his shoulder. Yuma stumbled, giving his friend a glare, but Gumo stared him down, tapping his foot impatiently against the floor. "Otherwise, you're just going to emo the whole night and that would ruin the mood for Ian and I. Tell her outright that she's being a complete bitch to you if you have to – just stop moping around all the time," he barked.

Yuma rolled his eyes mutinously, but decided against protesting – he still didn't want to talk to his ex-girlfriend, who was now making ' _come-hither_ ' eyes at Akita Nero, but he didn't want to stay in his secluded corner and listen to Gumo nagging at him all night, so he thought he would lose himself in the crowd and hopefully get carried far, far away from both Gumo and Miku. But unfortunately for him, the moment he stepped out from behind the table, Miku looked up and stared straight at him.

He froze, captured by her green eyes. He had tried so hard to avoid being noticed by her that, when she looked at him, he found that he couldn't respond. Her expression didn't change, and a few seconds later she returned her attention to the other two boys, but he was left feeling shaken by the brief period of eye contact they shared. It had been so long since they last communicated in any way that Yuma didn't know what to do. Was he supposed to avoid her, or should he…approach her?

Looking over his shoulder back at the food table, he saw Gumo making angry gestures at him with his hands, and he knew that if he tried to slip away his friend would hunt him down at the very next opportunity, probably calling him a coward and a complete pussy. He wouldn't be able to live that down, so he took in a deep breath and approached his suddenly very intimidating ex-girlfriend.

Nero and Meito seemed to stop talking when he got closer, or maybe that was just his imagination. Either way, when he got there, all three of them turned around to stare at him, and Yuma fidgeted, suddenly feeling really hot around the collar. Nero, the party host's brother, greeted him with an amiable grin and clapped him on the shoulder. "Hey, Yuma! Glad you're here. I haven't been seeing you at Donatella lately," he mentioned a club which Yuma went to very regularly. Yuma coughed.

"Yeah, I was…busy," he mumbled, not wanting to admit that he was there, just he was hiding because he didn't want his ex to see him. He couldn't be a hundred percent sure that she was stalking him and purposely flaunting her new flirtatious nature in front of him, but either way he wasn't happy about it and he would rather not bump into her at all. He loved going to parties and clubs, but Miku's presence was making it difficult for him to enjoy himself lately. Miku smirked at his words.

It was one of the first few times he had seen his ex-girlfriend smirking. It was an expression so out of place on her face that he couldn't help but gape at her for a moment. Miku, when she was still his girlfriend, was sweet and innocent – she was so harmless, such a _wallflower_ that she kind of just blended into the background. "Busy, eh?" Nero tilted his head, studying him intently with his sharp violet eyes. Yuma didn't know what to say in response, so he held his tongue. Akita Nero was only one year older than Yuma and most of his schoolmates, but sometimes he seemed way older than what his physical age indicated. He definitely partied hard, but at the same time he was decidedly…mature.

"Yeah," he repeated stubbornly, doing his best to ignore Nero's unspoken question. The two boys were casual friends, but he supposed that even Nero, who wasn't super close to him or anything, knew enough about his and Miku's breakup to suspect that something was up. Nero looked away from him and glanced at Miku for just a second before exchanging a look with Meito, who was a senior as well, and Nero's classmate in school. Miku didn't meet his gaze, staring down at the floor.

"I guess we ought to mingle around with the others," Meito spoke jovially, as though he was totally oblivious to the tension between Yuma and Miku – though Yuma didn't think he was really unaware. Maybe the two seniors just didn't want to get involved in the relationship troubles of their juniors. "It was nice talking to you, Miku. Maybe we'll see you around on campus. You should have lunch with us one day," the dark haired senior winked mischievously at her, chocolate brown eyes twinkling merrily, before he and Nero turned away and wordlessly dove back into the crowd, giving Yuma and Miku nothing more than a parting wave. Then they were left alone.

"Well, what do you want?" Miku was the first one to speak, her voice surprisingly cordial for a girl who was going around telling people _things_ about him. Yuma never found out exactly what she said, but whatever stories she was sharing, he was pretty sure she was exaggerating things. What she shared was probably something to do with how he was an arse who didn't know how to appreciate her and dumped her the very moment he got bored, without any appreciation whatsoever of her effort…it wasn't that Yuma didn't appreciate her, for God's sake. But he sure as hell wouldn't let her know he regretted his decision.

"What makes you think I came here to talk to you?" he retorted, his pride preventing him from immediately entering a proper conversation with her. No, the jibes and the bitter barbs had to come in first. Hearing her voice reminded him painfully of their breakup, and of the time where she used to be _his_. Now, they were both single, but Yuma was extremely aware of the small space between them and he couldn't help but wonder what she would do if he closed that gap. But no, he couldn't – he _wouldn't_ , because if he did anything like that it would just prove that she had won the game.

Though she kind of already had. He knew he wouldn't be getting over her anytime soon, not in the foreseeable future. He was so hung up over his ex-girlfriend that for now, even the most attractive girl in the room probably wouldn't make a single blip on his radar. Miku gave him a look which clearly asked how stupid he thought she was, and he backpedalled. "Fine, maybe so I did. And is there any problem you have with that?" he narrowed his eyes. "I thought we parted ways _amiably_."

"Uh huh, you're not wrong," she conceded. "I'm pretty sure we decided we were going to stay as friends afterwards. _You're_ the one who kept avoiding me, not the other way around," she continued, ignoring him as he opened his mouth in an attempt to interrupt. "I attended all these parties since I knew _you_ would be there, and maybe we could chat or something…I'm not so oblivious that I fail to notice your bright pink hair sticking out from behind potted plants, Yuma," she folded her arms.

He tried not to let that jibe about his hair get to him. "Um, and why would I want to talk to you when you're having so much fun chatting up guys?" he retorted, and realised belatedly that he sounded just like a bitter ex-boyfriend. Admittedly he _was_ a bitter ex-boyfriend, but Miku didn't need to know that. The girl in question blinked at him, clearly surprised by his tone, and he rambled on to cover his slipup. "Just because we broke up amiably doesn't mean you go around flirting the moment you're single – people are bound to say something about that kind of behaviour," he justified himself feebly.

"I don't see you doing much better," Miku snapped, sounding rather unhappy. He scowled, confused by what she meant – unlike her, _he_ hadn't gone around talking to girls the moment he was officially single. " _You_ initiated the breakup! It's not something I'll ever forget," she reminded him.

He groaned. "Come on, you can't still be angry about that," he grumbled. "You said it's fine, that we ought to take a little break from each other! You agreed to it, and suddenly everyone is calling me an asshole who dumped you the moment I got tired of you. What are you telling people about me?" he squinted suspiciously at her. Miku gave him an angelic, sweet smile that sent shivers down his spine.

"Nothing," she cooed. "I just told the truth, that you initiated the split because you were bored of how monotonous our relationship was. That's all," her green eyes twinkled. His frown deepened – he was sure she wasn't telling the whole truth, but he was just as certain that no matter how many times he asked, she wouldn't tell him what she said, nor would anyone else she told the story to.

Just as he was about to snap at her in response – he didn't know what to say, but he was tired of playing mind games with her – Neru, the party hostess, interrupted their conversation, situating herself firmly between the two of them. The blonde was tall, beautiful and athletic, and was on the cheerleading team in their university. When Akita Neru spoke, people listened. "You two, no arguing in front of everyone," she ordered, and neither one of them could object. "If you want to fight, then go ahead, but get a room upstairs," Neru pointed at the stairs, her tone much like a mother scolding her ill-behaved children. Yuma and Miku exchanged a look, and grudgingly did as they were told.

Yuma hadn't intended to be stuck _alone_ with Miku, but that appeared to be the situation now, and he wondered why things seemed to be getting from bad to worse. Miku teetered up the stairs behind him, her heels clearly making it hard to balance while walking, and he would have been a gentleman and helped her up the stairs if he wasn't still so salty about his circumstances. It took a while for them to get to the next landing, but this floor was so quiet that it seemed worth the time spent.

"What's with this getup?" he groused, indicating her outfit. Miku was in a short, strappy wine coloured dress that was so tight that it seemed almost painted on, and she was wearing a pair of thin, barely-there stiletto heels which could probably be used as a weapon in a fight. Her dark eye makeup, her perfectly arched brows, the full pout of her lips – everything was as he remembered about her, yet at the same time it was so different because of all the makeup she hated to wear.

"Why, you don't like it?" she asked coyly, averting her gaze so that he couldn't look into her eyes. He scowled, reluctant to grace that with a response, and opened one of the doors to check if the place was empty. The room he chose was a bedroom, but it was so sparsely furnished that Yuma guessed it was either Nero's room, or a guest room. Either way it was empty, so he figured this room would be a good place to continue their…argument, or whatever the heck it was. It wasn't exactly a fight, but it could hardly be called a friendly conversation either. Miku was making Yuma very unhappy.

"No, I don't," he answered bluntly. He was lying of course – he did like her outfit, he never knew that the boring, goody-two-shoes Hatsune Miku could look so seductive. But at the same time he hated it, because he knew that she didn't dress up this way for him. She had other intentions, but pleasing him was probably the last thing on her mind. If she wasn't wearing all these for him, then he didn't like it.

"Well, too bad for you that I don't care what you think," she retorted, entering the room after him and resting herself gingerly on the edge of the pristinely made bed. "Oh, these heels are killing me," she muttered as she took off her stilettos, placing them carefully at the foot of the bed. "I dress up to make myself feel good, and I like it when I receive attention from guys. You're not anyone to me anymore, so you have no right to care," she reminded him, her tone becoming extremely sharp.

Yuma could sense that he was in dangerous territory here. He wasn't sure how to continue without this _civilised_ conversation devolving into some horrible argument. He had no time for arguments with his ex-girlfriend; he had other things to be focusing on…like maybe getting over her, for one thing. "You may not care what I think, but I care about _you_ still – as a friend, of course," he clarified quickly when her green eyes flitted to him, filled with equal parts shock and accusation. "We're friends, aren't we? And as a friend, I don't want to see you…throwing yourself at guys, you know."

"I'm not _throwing_ myself at them!" she hissed at him, offended already. He knew things were going to turn out this way. "And no one asked you to pay attention to what the hell I'm doing at parties! We drink, you drink, everyone drinks…I mean yeah, it makes me a little chattier, but it doesn't mean I'm flirting around or anything," she defended herself, flipping some of her teal hair behind her shoulder. Yuma's gaze fixed on her bare shoulder, the milky, flawless skin exposed to him, and he was suddenly reminded of all the times he slowly undressed her, nibbling on that same shoulder…

He clearly wasn't going to get over her anytime soon. "Doesn't look that way to me, or to a lot of other people," he almost sneered, only stopping because he was surprised by just how bitter he was. He didn't think he was someone who held a grudge, but this entire saga was showing him otherwise. "Maybe you should reconsider talking to so _many_ guys if you want to be chatty…I mean, you have female friends, don't you?" he ran his hand through his hair, an old habit he was trying to get rid of.

He only ran his hands through his hair when he was feeling frustrated. People who knew about this would catch on quickly, and of course Miku knew it. She stared at him wordlessly for a moment, then got up from the bed and walked slowly to him. Yuma couldn't move. He was taller than her even when she wore heels, and now that she was barefoot she just barely reached his chin. He almost forgot how tiny she was…no, he was lying to himself. He couldn't forget anything about her.

"You're jealous, aren't you?" she asked, tilting her head to one side. There was a small smirk on her face, and Yuma just glared quietly at her, knowing that she would catch his lie even if he tried to said no. "And you were the one who initiated the split with me…is this poetic justice, Yuma?" there was a sing-song lilt to her words. His mind blanked out for a moment. How was he supposed to respond?

"I didn't know you're this upset about us breaking up. You keep bringing it up – you're taking it real personally for someone who agreed to it," he finally threw out at her, wondering if it would be a good idea to retreat from Miku, or if that would be taken as a sign of weakness. "If you didn't want us to split you could have just told me; I didn't want to _break up_ , I just wanted a _break_. It's not the same thing," he sounded defensive now, and he knew it. Miku merely rolled her eyes at his words.

"Of course I keep bringing it up. Do you have any idea how much it pissed me off? Are you implying that I was boring back when I was your girlfriend?" she placed her hands on her hips. Yuma's gaze involuntarily dropped to the curve of her waist. "And now, since I'm doing stuff I normally wouldn't do, all of a sudden I'm not _boring_ anymore," she stared at him intently, and he didn't know how to refute that statement. Then she smirked again. "So I guess I should continue doing things differently?"

Suddenly, she reached out and yanked on the collar of his shirt, jerking him forward so that he was at the same level as her, and then he felt soft, warm, familiar lips against his. He reacted purely on instinct, his arms wrapping around Miku and pulling her closer to him. Her touch, her scent and taste were all so familiar – though she was behaving differently, and unlike in the past she had initiated this kiss, everything else was exactly the same as he remembered. She moaned quietly against his mouth, and he tugged lightly on her bottom lip, satisfied when she parted her lips in response.

He continued to kiss her, this extremely infuriating ex-girlfriend who had been occupying all his thoughts ever since they separated, and at the same time he backed her into the bed so that he could press himself against her and feel their bodies moulding into each other. It was so perfect, so very _familiar_ , and he found himself wondering how the hell he had managed to get bored of her.

She tasted like alcohol and berries, a heady mixture. It was a new experience since Miku never really drank when they were together, and he never thought he would taste alcohol in her mouth, but the feel of her soft lips was heavenly. She ran her nails up and down his back, scratching lightly at the hem, against his bare hips. He almost wanted to beg her to run her hands across the skin beneath his shirt, but that meant he'd have to stop kissing her, and that wasn't something he wanted to do yet.

It had only been around two months since they stopped kissing, stopped touching each other. Their breakup only became official three weeks ago, but even before then physical touch and words of affection had been kept to a minimum. It was pretty obvious what path their relationship was taking back then, but Yuma now couldn't remember what was going through his head during that period. This felt amazing. How had he managed to give all this up, just to experience life as a single again?

Then suddenly Miku withdrew from him, gaze alight with knowingness. They were both breathing hard, her teal hair all over her forehead. He scowled at her, but his hand reached up to lovingly brush those messy stray strands away from her green eyes. She was stuck beneath him on the large mattress, the sheets creasing underneath the weight of their bodies, and Yuma vaguely thought of how annoyed Neru would be, having to straighten the sheets and everything once they got up.

"I thought we broke up for good," she breathed, tenderly cupping his face in her hands. But her expression was far from loving – she looked teasing, evil almost. He growled low in his throat, ducking his head to nuzzle against her neck. He couldn't get over her – if he had been able to, he wouldn't be kissing her now, drunk on her touch and scent. She tilted her head, allowing him access to her bare throat, to that spot underneath her ear which he knew to be extremely sensitive. Her breath hitched when he grazed his teeth against that spot, and his lips curved up against her skin.

"Fuck breaking up," he whispered, trailing kisses over her throat as he spoke. "Our split wouldn't have lasted anyway. Wouldn't matter whether you acted differently or stayed as your usual self," he met her gaze hungrily, throwing all caution to the wind. Fuck everything, really. He had lost this stupid game his ex was playing long ago. The moment Miku lodged herself in his brain, never leaving no matter how hard he tried to push her away, he lost. He knew he shouldn't have broken up with her. He was stupid.

She pulled his face down towards her to kiss him deeply again, and his eyes fluttered shut, savouring the taste and feel of her. They hadn't really touched or been intimate for two entire months, and he didn't find any other girls after he became single, so he only now realised just how much he was craving touch – Miku's touch, to be specific. He wasn't sure if he'd be enjoying himself as much if it was someone else. Again, after a few moments she withdrew, studying his face carefully, her green eyes flitting from feature to feature, while he watched her warily, wondering what her next move would be.

"I'm not coming home with you tonight," she finally whispered, her fingers digging into his shoulders as she said those words. He nodded – that wasn't something he had expected anyway. He wasn't even sure if this meant that they were back together or anything. Maybe the two of them were both just desperate for each other's touch; maybe they both still had lingering feelings and desires that just couldn't be satisfied by another person. Maybe they had been together for too long for anyone else to suffice. But either way, it didn't feel like a great surprise that he was so susceptible to her kisses.

"Another night then," he answered quickly, eager to continue what they were doing. She allowed it, and he shoved the nagging question – the question about what the status of their relationship was now – to the back of his mind. That was something he could think about when he was alone and sober.

* * *

 **A/N** : _Inspired from a song, I think it's pretty obvious what this song is. It's a Charlie Puth song, if anyone wants to know._


	14. pretty little kitsune

pretty little kitsune

"Little boy, little boy, won't you come out to play?" the soft whisper echoed through the trees, sounding almost like the whisper of the wind. He turned around, searching for the speaker, but he couldn't see anyone. "Little boy, little boy, won't you come out to play?"

There it was, that voice again. He swallowed, getting nervous – he could feel his heart pounding away in his chest. He shouldn't have come so deep into the forest, but their pet dog had run all the way in here after he threw her stick too far, and he dove into the trees without a second thought, back then frightened of the possible scolding he would get if he let their dog go missing. He forgot entirely about the warnings his parents always told him.

 _Never enter the forest, no matter the circumstances._ The forest behind their house was considered sacred to a particular forest tribe, and while he had never seen these mythical people of the forest before, his parents warned him that if they caught him on their land, he might be severely punished for his transgression. He was beginning to feel nervous. In the past, he always thought of those stories as mere superstition, horror tales meant to shock and terrify little children. But now, in this thick, quiet forest, those tales sounded like they just might be true. He looked behind him – he knew he couldn't find his way out of here…

"Hoshiko! Where are you?" he called, hoping beyond hope that their dog would respond to the name and come bounding out from the trees, and he could just go home after that. But nothing happened, and the forest barely even stirred. He groaned, stepping carefully across the leaf-strewn ground. He could hear the birdsong all around him, but other than that the forest was eerily quiet, and that unnerved him. Shouldn't there be more wildlife around?

"Hoshiko!" he called out for their dog again, unsurprised when there was no response. The forest seemed to be an entirely different world altogether. It was as though he stepped through a portal into a different dimension once he took his first step into the trees. The sound of his shout reverberated through the forest, but his voice was quickly swallowed up by the dense undergrowth. He could see small flowers blossoming wherever he looked, and all around him were the signs of life awakening after a long winter…but still no dog.

He was going to lose his mind when he finally found their family pet. Maybe he ought to give up for now and just head back home. But he hesitated, torn between finding his way to safety and avoiding being scolded for his negligence. Besides, his little sister would probably cry nonstop if he admitted he had lost Hoshiko. Sighing, he pressed onwards, hoping that he would find the dog before the sun set and he was stuck in the forest after dark. That was a scenario that he would really rather avoid. The forest was terrifying enough in the daytime.

"Little boy, little boy…are you lost?" the voice seemed to whisper through the trees again. He shook his head, wondering if he was beginning to hallucinate now. There couldn't actually be another person nearby, saying all these things to him, right? Surely he would have spotted them by now. He ignored the voice, turning around to scan his surroundings in the hopes of seeing a familiar blob of white fur. But their dog was still nowhere in sight.

He would never enter the forest again. It was just no good for his nerves. He slowly spun one more time, then suddenly he thought he glimpsed a flash of white. He shot around to where he saw the flash, and spotted some white fur peeking out through the undergrowth. "Hoshiko!" he shouted, but instead of responding, the dog dashed away through the trees, ignoring his voice entirely. Cursing quietly in frustration, he ran after the dog, hoping that this infernal chase wouldn't go on for much longer. They had wasted enough time in here!

He chased after Hoshiko, and as he ran the trees seemed to thin – eventually, he burst out into a clearing, and he saw Hoshiko slow down in front of him as well. "Well, there you are," he growled, about to lunge out and grab the dog – but then the dog came to a stop in front of someone standing in the middle of the clearing, and he halted as the person crouched to stroke the dog between its ears. Hoshiko barked, not sounding entirely pleased about being petted but not rejecting the person either. He stared at the newcomer, and she smiled.

It was a girl. She looked hardly any older than him, maybe thirteen at most. She had long, lustrous teal hair that glimmered in the sunlight, and bright green eyes filled with curiosity. Her skin was fair and delicate and somehow, he was reminded of the pure radiance of the full moon. She was dressed in, of all things, a long green kimono, embroidered with golden flowers. "Hello," she spoke, and her voice was sweet and melodious, like the birdsong that filled the forest. "Is this your dog? She has been chasing me throughout the forest for quite some time now," she giggled. "You must be an energetic girl, aren't you?" she cooed.

"Uh, yes, this is my dog," he almost stumbled over his words, wondering if he ought to approach this mysterious girl to get Hoshiko back. Did she belong to the forest tribe that his parents warned him about? But they didn't tell him that the people of that tribe would be so…pretty. She was easily the prettiest girl he had ever seen. "Her name is Hoshiko," his lips moved of their own accord, and he blinked, wondering when he had decided to say that.

"That's a cute name!" the girl exclaimed, clapping her hands excitedly. "Hoshiko, Hoshiko," she called, petting the dog again. Hoshiko looked at the girl, but thankfully didn't bite or anything – which was strange, because their dog was sweet only to their family and usually didn't handle strangers very well. Maybe Hoshiko really liked her, for some reason? That was a good sign, right? He listened to the girl cooing over the dog and realised that her voice was vaguely familiar – it sounded like the wind whispering between the trees…

No, he was definitely imagining things now. He had already decided that there had not been anyone speaking to him in the forest earlier, and he didn't want to start hearing voices where they weren't any. "What's your name?" he decided to ask, hoping that this girl would be able to show him the way out. The girl blinked at him, as though she had forgotten about his presence. Well, she did seem to be a lot more interested in Hoshiko than in him…

"Oh, my name!" she tapped a finger against her chin, glancing upwards like she was trying to recall. "It's been a long time since I last told my name to anybody…well, you can call me Miku. Just Miku-chan will do," she grinned. "I haven't heard my real name being said in a long time, actually…for a variety of reasons," she fidgeted, now looking almost upset.

"Miku-chan," he repeated slowly, letting the name roll off his tongue. It was a strangely exotic, almost enchanting name – simple and sweet, yet at the same time so intriguing. "That's a nice name you have," he smiled. "My name is Kagamine Len," he offered when she just continued to grin at him, her fingers still twined through Hoshiko's white fur. "It's nice to meet you. Do you live here, in the forest?" he asked, gesturing at the trees around them.

She nodded. "I've been here ever since I was born!" she explained. " _Okaasan_ says it's best that we don't leave the forest because the outside world is dangerous, but I'm really interested in knowing what lies beyond these trees. You're not from here, are you? I've never seen you around before," she frowned. "And you smell…you smell different, so you can't be from the forest!" she declared, clapping delightedly. "In fact…are you _human_?"

He blinked. This girl was beginning to talk funny. Of course he was human – what else could be possibly be? "Um, yes," he stared quizzically at her, but she simply continued to beam at him, as though he was the most fascinating thing in the world. "What else could I be, right?"

Miku shrugged. "Oh, I don't know, so many other things. You could be one of the _ayakashi_ who visits _okaasan_ so often. Or maybe you're a _kappa_ ," she giggled, hiding her face behind her long kimono sleeve. Len stared at her. Now she was talking about demons in mythology as though they really existed. Maybe she was going crazy from living out here for so long. _Yokai_ didn't exist, right? It'd be all over the news if people spotted demons running around, wreaking havoc everywhere. He definitely shouldn't have come out into the forest.

"Well, I'm human through and through," he finally muttered, still wondering how to get out of here. The girl nodded excitedly, and he decided to at least get the dog back to his side. "Come here, Hoshiko," he called out again, and he swore the dog actually looked up at the girl once before it bounded back to him. He stroked Hoshiko, slightly reassured by the feel of her soft white fur between his fingers. Miku looked at them wistfully, green eyes dreamy.

"I'd like to ask you for stories about the human world, Len-kun, but it's time for you to go back to where you belong," she nodded. "Just go back that way, between the two trees over there, and follow the path! You'll find your way back to the human world before long," she explained. Len thanked her and, Hoshiko on his heels, he followed her directions, heading towards the gap between the trees she pointed out. "Goodbye, Len-kun!" the girl called out as he left. "I hope we meet again someday!" he waved back at her, but didn't say anything.

He didn't think he would run into this strange girl again, since he had promised himself that he wouldn't ever step back inside the forest. It would be nice to see her though, since she was…well, she was really very pretty, even if she seemed to think a little differently from everyone else.

* * *

Len didn't think about the mysterious girl again until a few years later, when he was eighteen years old. He never told his parents about his adventure in the forest, and slowly the incident slipped from his mind, a passing curiosity, a barely-remembered nightmare.

It wasn't all bad. There was that girl, after all. She had been the one thing about the entire experience that wasn't traumatising. But Len forgot about her too, until the day he heard a knock on the front door and opened it to find an injured fox. It was a small fox, and its fur was shimmery golden instead of russet like he expected, which made it very strange. The fox looked like it was almost still a cub, and it was just lying on the front steps, bleeding from its hind leg. The fox gazed up at him with its deep brown eyes, looking almost pleading.

Hoshiko trotted out from behind Len, sniffing at the fox, but to Len's utter surprise the dog didn't bark or try to attack the fox. Instead, Hoshiko laid herself down in front of the fox and began to lick its golden fur, and the fox closed its eyes readily, as though perfectly comfortable with Hoshiko's attentions. Which was really very strange, because Hoshiko tended to chase after anything which moved. "Injured fox, huh," Len muttered, looking up and down the street to see who had left it at his door. Why his door, anyway? It wasn't like he was a vet or anything like that. But there was no one else in sight, and he couldn't just leave it there…

He sighed. Crouching down, he hesitantly held a hand out towards the fox, allowing it to sniff him before he touched it. He didn't want to risk being bitten by a wild animal. The fox opened its eyes and shifted slightly away from Hoshiko, craning its head towards his hand. He watched warily as the fox held its head up, smelling his scent, before it rested its head back down on the ground and closed its eyes again. It seemed willing to trust him, so Len carefully picked up the injured young fox and closed the door, shooing Hoshiko back into the house. Rin was out with her friends, and his parents were at work, so it was just him today. He wished his sister was around. She was more interested in wildlife than him and might know how to take care of an injured animal. He had no idea what to do now.

Maybe he should call wildlife services…but the fox's leg was bleeding pretty bad, and he was afraid that it might die from blood loss or something before they could arrive. Maybe he ought to staunch the bleeding first before doing anything else. Running around, he tried to find the first aid kit, hoping that human medicine would be okay to use on a fox. He was just cleaning a wound and bandaging it up, not feeding it something, so it should be okay, right?

Hoshiko continued to lie next to the injured fox, which Len placed in the middle of the living room. The fox still had its eyes closed, and he wondered whether it had fallen asleep or if it had passed out from the pain. He was sure that the fox was in a lot of pain – the wound looked deep and fresh. He returned with the bandages and some water, and began the careful process of cleaning the wound. The fox barely even flinched, and Len thought that it seemed almost stoic in its… _humanness_. He stared at the fox's face while he worked – this was definitely the first time he had seen a golden fox. He didn't even know such creatures existed. It wasn't even light red or brown, like most foxes – its fur was pure, true gold.

"I wonder why you were left at my doorstep, of all places," Len muttered, now wrapping white bandages around the fox's injured leg. "It's not like I know how to look after injured wildlife…I guess I ought to give wildlife services a call," he continued speaking as the fox opened its brown eyes, watching him. It almost seemed to understand what he was saying, but of course it didn't, right? It was just a fox. "I hope you get better soon, little buddy."

"No, don't call wildlife services," a soft voice murmured, and Len blinked, stunned, before he looked around wildly for the voice – he was definitely sure he hadn't just imagined that. Then he stared down at the fox and saw, to his utter shock, that the fox was standing on all four legs now, as though its injury wasn't bothering it at all. The golden fur seemed to glow with unearthly light, and right before his very eyes the fox grew – within mere seconds, the fox was gone, replaced by a slender girl with long teal hair and bright, curious green eyes.

He had to shield his eyes against the bright glow which emanated from her skin, and after a while the glow faded, and he could put his hand down. He gaped, finding the girl incredibly familiar, and when she smiled and called his name, he remembered. "You're that girl from the forest!" he exclaimed, still too shocked to really think properly. "From five years ago!"

She giggled. "Oh, you remember! I'm glad you remember who I am, Len-kun," she went on earnestly, reaching out to grasp his hands in hers while she spoke. He didn't pull away from her, still unable to react from the shock. "I almost expected you to forget. It's been a while, hasn't it? In human years, at least. To me it felt like just a blink of an eye, and suddenly you look very grownup, Len-kun," she continued. He felt himself blushing at her comment.

"You're…you're the fox," he stammered, his hands still in hers. Her skin was incredibly soft, her hands slim and supple. She nodded, green eyes staring wonderingly at him, and he just gaped at her, unsure if he was just dreaming or if this was all somehow, miraculously real. "But…how can you be a fox?" he shook his head, this entire situation feeling like some kind of bizarre dream. "You're human, aren't you? I mean, look at you! You're definitely human!" he exclaimed, looking her up and down.

She was startlingly pretty. Her long teal hair fell all the way to the back of her knees, and her skin was so fair that she seemed to emit an ethereal glow. Her wide eyes were the same bright green as the forest in spring, and she had the loveliest, most delicate features he had ever seen – she looked like a porcelain doll, a work of art, every stroke and line of her face made with only the greatest care. She was, like the first time he met her, dressed in a heavy kimono – this time, she wore a pure white one that was a few shades paler than her own skin. She looked like a snow maiden, a princess – someone who didn't belong in his modern, humble little house. If he had to guess, he would have thought she was ancient royalty.

"I am the fox," she agreed, giggling. He blinked, unsure what to say, and she hid her face behind one of her long sleeves, only the bright green of her eyes visible over her arm. "My name is Hatsune Miku. I am the daughter of Megurine Luka – humans know her under a different name, of course," she continued thoughtfully, musing to herself. "Humans know her as the Nine-Tailed _kitsune_ of the Ancient Forest. I'm supposed to be meditating now, in fact," she sounded a little sulky here, "but I don't have the patience to get my next tail…"

" _Kitsune_ ," Len repeated, mind blank. The girl put down her arm and nodded, all the good humour on her face suddenly gone. She looked remarkably serious. " _Kitsune_ …they're just tales from old stories, aren't they?" his lips seemed to be moving on autopilot. "There are no such things as fox spirits or demons. They're just stories! If they were real, then why haven't people been reporting sightings, why isn't anyone afraid?" he almost shouted at her, unable to believe what he was seeing and hearing. Hoshiko flinched away at the sound of his raised voice and went over to the girl, who petted her with the same coos and gentle laughter as five years ago. Then the girl lifted her gaze and looked steadily at him.

"Just because you've never seen something before does not mean it doesn't exist," she pointed out sagely. He shut up. "There are many other things you humans believe in that you may not have ever seen, yet you still have faith in the unknown, don't you? And if you really want proof, I can always turn back into a fox for you," she added, a challenging edge to her cheerful voice. He shook his head hastily – witnessing that transformation once again might just give him a heart attack. She smiled. "But you are right to be suspicious, Len-kun! It's true that it is very odd, that I should show up at your doorstep unannounced."

"So why are you here?" he decided not to think about her… _fox_ -ness, for now. He still found the whole thing difficult to believe. The girl, Hatsune Miku, placed a finger against her lips and glanced around shiftily, as though she was looking out for eavesdroppers. With a flick of her slender wrist, all the window drapes pulled themselves shut, throwing the entire house into dim shadow. Len started, staring at the covered windows, then back at the girl, who grinned at him, clearly pleased with herself. Before he could say anything, she held out her hands, a glowing golden light cupped between her palms, and threw the small orb into the air.

The ethereal orb of light floated up towards the ceiling, illuminating them in a way normal lighting could not – the whole living room was bathed in a warm, almost nurturing glow. He couldn't explain it, but there was a sudden sense of drowsy warmth flooding through him as he basked in the light. Hoshiko, too, curled up next to the girl and placed her head on her paws, closing her eyes. "Now we can talk," Miku chirruped. "The light hides me from the eyes of outsiders, and will warn us if anyone approaches your house. It took a really, really long time before I could slip away from the forest and come to visit you, Len-kun," she added, still in the same earnest tone as before. He thought that he might be blushing again.

She was so beautiful, and hearing an attractive…girl like her talking about him this way was admittedly flattering, even if she wasn't entirely human. "Uh, so what's all this about?" he asked lamely, wondering if he could just zip his mouth shut before he embarrassed himself in front of her. She blinked at him, those limpid green eyes suddenly completely serious.

"It's about us. You and me," she started, taking a step closer to him. His heart began to beat faster at those words, and he wondered what she could possibly mean by that. He wiped his hands on his pants, his palms slightly sweaty. She was making him nervous. "You see, I've always been very curious about the human world, but because of who I am, all the other _ayakashi_ would never allow me out of our domain. I can hardly even wander around the fringes of the forest without being dragged back to my mother's abode," she explained.

He had to wonder where all this was going. She could probably see the confusion in his expression, because she carried on after a pause. "But I have finally managed to slip away, since today is my mother's…birthday, I suppose you could call it. I don't even know how old she is, but she is really, really old. And she wasn't exactly _born_ , she just sort of sprang into existence from nowhere – but you get my drift," she added, noticing his frown. "The main point is, today was a busy day, so I slipped away and all the _ayakashi_ are probably searching for me right now. But they won't be able to find me if I hide in a human's house. It's the last place they'd ever expect me to take refuge in, since _kitsune_ tend to actively avoid humankind."

"Why do you do that?" he asked, curious about her last statement. He never knew that the _kitsune_ would have any reason to stay away from humans. After all, from what he knew, the _kitsune_ were revered fox-spirits who could take on human form, and were believed to be able to grant wishes and give one great power. No one would ever offend a _kitsune_ for fear of bringing great wrath and harm upon themselves and their family. Miku seemed troubled.

"Because humans fear the _kitsune_ the most out of all _yokai_ ," she answered. "Foxes are the strongest, and they are both respected and feared. In the past, there have been humans who have…hunted us, and trapped us for our pelts. It is believed that the pelt of a _kitsune_ would serve as a charm of good fortune, and as a result many fox-spirits have been hunted and killed, our hearts eaten in the hopes that it will extend life and lead to immortality. But those are all just useless rumours. Eating the heart and liver for youth and power…that only works if you're _yokai_ ," she grinned, and noticed Len's grimace. "Oh, but I won't do that to you, Len-kun!"

He continued to grimace. Len thought that he might have a difficult time understanding her, since everything she said – it made sense, but it wasn't _logical_. If she had such a reason to avoid mortals, then why was she still here, in his house? She seemed remarkably unafraid of him, given what she just said. "But how can humans kill _kitsune_ when we are mortal, and you are _yokai_?" he asked slowly, still reluctant to believe in the existence of mythological beings.

She giggled. "Oh, Len-kun. There are many humans, and very few _kitsune_. Most fox-spirits live in seclusion, far away from their brethren. How is one poor little _kitsune_ supposed to defend itself against a greedy horde of villagers?" she asked. Len felt a little uncomfortable hearing her describe humankind this way, but he supposed that it was true…at least, in the past it was true. Humans were hardly this uncivilised nowadays. Her next words echoed his thoughts. "But I know that things change, and life itself can change. I remember that when I met you, you were nothing like the bloodthirsty, violent humans my mother described to me in my childhood. You seemed…almost like another _ayakashi_. It made me curious – I did not think that you would have killed me for my heart and liver, so I began to wonder if the other humans in this time period would be like you. If so, there is nothing to fear, right?"

He nodded slowly, agreeing with her. He didn't think she had anything to fear from _him_ , at least. He just wanted to get on with his life and avoid any trouble – the last thing he would do was to traipse through the forest, searching for fox-spirits and _yokai_. "I see. Yeah, I guess you're right," he shrugged, scratching his head awkwardly. So, if he understood this bizarre situation correctly, this girl was actually a fox-spirit who had an interest in the human world, and she slipped away from the other…the other _ayakashi_ , and right now to avoid them she was hiding in his house, since it was the last place those _ayakashi_ would think to search.

Something seemed off about this. "But how did you even know where I live?" he asked, frowning quizzically at her. Miku blinked, staring back innocently at him. "I mean, how did you know to come to my doorstep – did you follow me home or something, that time you saw me in the forest?" he accused, feeling like this was an extreme violation of his privacy.

The girl pouted. "I didn't follow you _that_ far…I saw you come into this house after you got out of the forest and I just remembered where it was. I wasn't doing anything wrong," she defended herself. He didn't know what to say – if she was just some creepy human stalker, he would probably get really pissed off and call the cops or something. It just wasn't right to follow someone all the way to their house and memorise their address. But then, this girl was not human, and he was a little afraid of what might happen if he tried to scold her or raise his voice at her. That fear was the only thing that kept him from bursting out at her right now.

In the end, he just sighed. "Just…just don't do that again," he muttered. She tilted her head, clearly wondering why, and he sighed once more before he explained. "I don't know what it's like in _your_ world, but for humans it's just not good to go around following people. It's seriously creepy, and _normal_ humans don't do that. You understand, right?" he checked.

She nodded eagerly. "I just want to learn a little more about humans!" she promised. "I think that if I find out enough and can prove that the humans aren't really as violent as they used to be, maybe I can persuade _okaasan_ to let me go beyond the forest and explore the world outside. I'm tired of being cooped up and forced to meditate for my powers," she exhaled, looking dejected. "I mean, I definitely don't want to go around eating human hearts and such, but meditating takes such a _long_ time…I'll never get my next tail. I have no idea how _okaasan_ grew all nine of hers. Do you think she'll ever get to ten?" she perked up, suddenly excited.

Len shrugged helplessly. This was not his area of expertise. Miku tapped a finger against her chin, looking thoughtful. "Oh well, it's interesting to wonder," she mused to herself. "Since you're the only human I know, Len-kun, would it be all right if I stayed with you for a while?" she asked, turning her large green eyes upon him. He wasn't sure why, but he suddenly felt a little weak at the knees. "I promise I won't be any trouble! I'll just turn back into a fox whenever there's anyone else around, and you can say you…you found me in pain, so you took me in to look after me, or something along those lines," she promised. Len hesitated.

It seemed very dangerous to harbour a fox-spirit in his home. Besides, didn't she mention that her _okaasan_ was the Nine-Tailed _kitsune_ , who was one of the most powerful _yokai_ in mythology? If the _kitsune_ decided to come to his house searching for her daughter, what was he supposed to say? How would he handle such a situation? No, scratch that – even if other _yokai_ came looking for the fox-spirit, he wouldn't know what to do either. All this was happening way too quickly, and his mind couldn't catch up. Yet, if he told her no, there was no telling what the girl would do to him. He was too frightened of offending her to voice out his opinions. The stories he was told in his youth all came to mind, foreboding warnings.

"I don't know if that's really a good idea –" he began, but before he could continue the warm golden light flooding the room suddenly turned vivid red, and the girl spun around quickly, her green eyes darting from corner to corner of the house. Len could hear someone at the door, and he knew immediately that his younger sister must be coming back home. He saw the padlock on the door sliding open as Rin unlocked it, and he panickedly turned back towards the _kitsune_ – however, to his surprise, the girl and the mysterious light were already gone, and instead there was a small golden fox curled up next to Hoshiko, resting peacefully with its eyes closed. He didn't even have time to exhale in relief before the door swung open and his sister strolled in, her bag slung over one shoulder. She kicked the door shut behind her.

"Yo, _oniisan_ ," she greeted him casually, throwing her bag onto the couch. Then her gaze landed upon the fox and her blue eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, a fox! It's so cute!" she squealed, rushing over to Miku and petting the _kitsune_ between her ears. The fox lazily opened her eyes and stared up at Rin before shutting them again, tucking her small head between her paws. "You're so adorable!" Rin cooed, twining her fingers through Miku's golden fur. "And your pelt…your fur, it's so beautiful! I've never seen a golden fox before. Are you going to keep it, _oniisan_?" Rin stared up at him pleadingly. Len swallowed.

He still remembered what Miku said to him right before his sister came home. Given the way Rin was fawning over the _kitsune_ now, he didn't think he had any other choice – his sister would throw a fit if he tossed the _kitsune_ back into the forest. So, he supposed Miku could stay in his home for now. He'd try to make her leave as soon as possible.


	15. love, death and broken things

love, death and broken things

She glanced at the hooded boy floating silently next to her, his gaze downcast. His gloved hands were clasped loosely together, and he drifted along, so quiet that if she didn't look, she would have thought he wasn't there. She worried her lip, wondering what to say.

"It's a nice day out today, isn't it?" she decided to try, wondering if that would prompt any kind of response from him. The boy barely reacted – he turned his face just a tiny bit in her direction, but he looked away just as quickly, the slight movement so languid that it almost distracted her from how… _reluctant_ he was. He hated looking at her. She wasn't quite sure if she had figured out why – she had her suspicions, but he was unwilling to speak to her.

Letting out a sigh, she drew to a stop at the traffic junction, waiting for the light to turn green. A few cars sped past her, and life went bustling on. Everything was normal, and she would have _thought_ things were normal if it weren't for the eerily silent figure by her side. People who walked past her didn't say a single word, laughing and talking with each other as if the boy didn't exist. You'd think people would comment on the fact that his feet didn't touch the ground – but then why would they say anything, when no one else could see him?

"Could you come down?" she finally decided to ask, after a few more moments of silence passed and she could bear the tension no longer. The boy did look at her this time, his face still partially covered by his hood, but he acquiesced – gently, his feet touched the ground, the tips of his shoes gingerly pressing themselves against the pavement. He was dressed like a typical teenage boy, with his dark grey hoodie, his ripped skinny jeans and the high-top black sneakers, scuffed with use and age. His hands were gloved, the black material covering his fingers almost shimmering – it looked like it was made of something like velvet, yet not.

He seemed like the most normal boy in the world. And although she could not see his face right now, she knew his looks were far from average – he was actually really attractive, so ethereally beautiful that her mind always blanked out for a few seconds whenever she saw him without his hoodie up. But he was far from normal. And only she knew his secret…

"Do you want me to make myself visible too?" he asked, his voice as quiet as the rest of him. He was the whispering of the wind through autumn leaves; the last exhale someone makes as their soul passed peacefully into the unknown. She nodded mutely, and once more he acquiesced to her wish – there was the faintest of ripples through the air, almost visible but not quite, and suddenly there he was, taking up solid space beside her. It was a little better to know that he was visible to others now. She hated talking to him when he was hiding from public view – people always thought she was mumbling to herself.

"How long are you staying around for, this time?" she mustered up the courage to ask. She had asked before a few times, but he never bothered to answer. She knew he wouldn't answer either – and even if he did, it would feel like she had pried his secrets out of him, ancient bits and pieces of memory that never before had any need to see the light. The boy shrugged, and right then the traffic light changed – they began to cross the road, her with her usual bounce to her step, him as gracefully as ever. Even on ground, he seemed to float.

"I'll stay until the day you die," he answered peacefully, and she blinked in surprise – he had never answered before. He glanced at her again, and she took in the light blond hair, almost white, the deep blue eyes that contrasted so starkly against the pale skin, the serene smile curving his lips. She wanted to ask when she would die – a morbid kind of curiosity, perhaps – but before she could open her mouth, his gloves dissolved, revealing the fair skin beneath, and he gently reached out to cup her face in his hands. "Right now," his voice was mournful.

And the very next moment, the car slammed into her, and she fell straight into darkness.

* * *

Kagamine Len did not long for much. He was, more or less, satisfied with what he had – how else was he supposed to complain, anyway, even if he wanted to? He had been told over and over again that his job was not a pleasure. He was there to help the natural order of things. He was part of the world, yet never truly in it, only a bystander at the very most.

But that girl…that girl, whom he saw over and over again, life after life after life. There was something about her that made her stand out among all the blurry, faceless faces of those doomed to die. And he couldn't help but feel drawn to her, this mournful girl with the sad eyes and bright smile, who for some reason was able to see him, who for some reason always seemed to know what he was there for. She was always afraid to ask, and he never bothered to tell her – there was just an unspoken agreement between them, and when the time came, he gathered her soul in hands as soft and tender as rose petals, and delivered her to where she belonged. To where everyone would belong, eventually. Maybe even him.

Hatsune Miku was her name. The name that was given to her very soul, no matter how many different names she took on in multiple lifetimes. It was the name he would always know her as – the _first_ name, the words that sprang into existence and brought her to life, gave her meaning. Always a bright flame, a spark that went out too quickly – he had never once seen this girl live beyond the ripe old age of eighteen years old, the same age _he_ died. Perhaps that was why they had this mysterious connection, why no matter where he went, he would always find her. What were the odds that he, out of the many others who were just like him, would keep bumping into the same mortal over and over again? Very slim.

"You're still thinking about her?" his twin sister asked, evidently picking up on his silent distress. He sent her a carefully blank look, but she was his twin, the girl who had shared a womb with him, shared his birth and shared his death. She knew him better than anyone; she knew him better than he knew the back of his own hand. "I don't know how you do it – or why anyone would do this, honestly. Isn't it the worst thing, to talk to someone knowing that you'd have to reap them – knowing that your very presence draws death to them?"

"It's what she wanted," he answered her evenly, betraying no hint of his inner turmoil. Yes, it was what she wanted, but did she really know what she was requesting for, back in her fifth life when she was still so young, her soul not yet jaded to the workings of the world? She had died far, far too many times for her to still desire his presence, surely – he would scorn himself if he was her, tell him to leave and stay as far away as possible. He would do anything for her, and if that was what she wanted, he would disappear. It would break his heart to see her being reaped by someone else, but at least she might live a while longer.

Kagamine Rin frowned. "Did you ask her that in her most recent life?" she swirled a finger around the clear orb she was holding, carefully cupping the fragile glass in one slender hand. Len wordlessly nodded, and she sighed, peering deep into the orb. The glass orb was filled with grey mist, and occasionally one could see tormented faces flashing across the surface – the souls of the wretched, who had committed some crime so heinous that the universe itself cried out, forbidding them from entering the cycle of death and rebirth. All of them had orbs like these. Len's own was nestled within his robes. He hardly ever took it out.

"Len…" he heard a familiar voice, and turned to see the willowy girl he and his sister had been discussing just moments ago. The soul hesitated, lingering right outside the room, then took a few tottering steps inside – he darted over to her side, helping her walk in. She was unused to moving in such an incorporeal form. "Am I…am I going back?" she asked weakly as he helped her along, clutching tightly at his sleeved arm. He tensed, reluctant to answer the question – Rin watched sympathetically, having gone through this many times.

"Yes," he answered, voice soothing. Her face crumpled, and his heart clenched – reaching up, he brushed a finger against her cheek, catching one small tear as she began to cry. "You will always go back. You cannot stay here, Miku. You know that. Only certain people are exempted from the cycle of rebirth, and I do not want you to become that way…no matter which way you are thinking of right now," he added, a bit more sternly than how he would normally talk. She avoided his gaze, her green eyes a little glassy, and he exhaled.

"Look at me," he lowered his hood, and she lifted her gaze towards him, meeting his eyes steadfastly. She reached out, and he allowed her to run her fingers lightly across his face, her slender fingers lingering against his cheeks, his jawline, running through his hair. "You know I will be there again, perhaps from your birth, perhaps after a major event in your life, perhaps _right_ before – no matter how long it takes, I will be there. And the day I remove my gloves is the day that you'll know," he leant his forehead against hers, closing his eyes.

"I know," her lips moved against his. He lingered, taking in her taste – the taste of fire, of wilderness, of sharp words and tender caresses. He wouldn't know how long it'd take until the next time she came back here with him. Eighteen years was a blink of an eye to him, but it was years and years of getting to know her again, of her getting to know him, and existing with the knowledge that she could never, _never_ really find out who he really was, or how he truly felt about her. At least, not while she was alive and among the living. He couldn't tell a mortal girl that he was in love with her. Because there was no telling how that would affect her life or the decisions she made. He didn't want her to kill herself for him, and that had happened once, just _once_ the only time he stupidly slipped and told her the truth.

"Tell me how to become like you," she pulled away abruptly, meeting his gaze with strong intent in her gaze, her green eyes blazing like wildfire. Even in death she always had such passion. Len tensed. That was one thing he wouldn't ever tell her – not that he could not, for it was entirely allowed, but rather he didn't want her to go through the same kind of miserable existence as him. He could not touch anyone or anything. He was a servant of Death, a _reaper_ as the humans called his kind, and his touch was an ill omen. It was a mark that indicated the imminent, and if he accidentally let his bare skin brush against a living thing, they would die, and they would die almost instantaneously. It was a horrible burden to carry, and it made him terribly, horribly lonely. His only companion was his twin sister.

Rin was a reaper like him, but they had slightly different roles. She usually stayed in their own realm, managing the souls they had to rebirth and retain. She was one of the Keepers of the Orbs – all of them had their own orbs to imprison those unworthy of rebirth, but she was one of those who kept meticulous records of who, why, how long…and she was the one who saw the past, the present, the future. Death was all-seeing, and those who served as his gatekeepers shared the same omniscience. Len was not one of those in that office.

His sister gazed at him with a look almost like pity. He didn't like it. "I can't," the words, the rejection, rolled flatly off his tongue. They left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. She stared at him wordlessly, her green eyes unyielding, and in a bid to distract her he ran his fingers through her long teal hair – but it felt like he was the one who was distracted, for he found himself marvelling at the impossible, _impossible_ silkiness, impossible for she was dead and merely a fragment, and had no flesh, no mortality of which to speak of. Why did she affect him this way? He hated himself for falling so completely, but he could never, ever hate her.

"How did you die?" Miku changed the topic, knowing that Len was unlikely to budge. He heaved a sigh of relief, glad that she moved on, though he knew that she had not entirely forgotten. She never really did. He glanced at Rin, who nodded once, as though giving him permission to discuss his death… _their_ death, really. They had died together. Even in death the twins were never apart. Len would feel utterly lost without his sister – she was the rock who grounded him to reality, to the tragic truth that no matter how much he loved Miku, he could never have her. Not while she was a mortal, and he was something…well, _other_.

"It was a long time ago. Tuberculosis," he shook his head, grimacing. "Back then, once you got that disease, your fate was sealed…Rin went first. She came into the world first, and she left it first too," he glanced at his sister, who had a faint smile on her lips. "I fought it off a bit longer, and the doctor thought I actually had a chance – but I died an hour after Rin did. I can't live in a world without my sister," he met Miku's gaze. "I've told you how I died before. Why do you ask me the same question every time you see me here?" he asked, curious.

Miku smiled. "Because I can count how many times I've heard you explain before," she answered, glancing shyly away from him. "This is the twenty-eighth time you've told me that story, Len. How many more times…will I have to hear you say this again?" her voice trailed off as she spoke, becoming barely more than a whisper. He didn't know how to respond to that, and the silence that fell between them seemed almost like a wall. There was that nagging voice within him that told him he would have to let her go, and he had to do so soon. She couldn't stay here with him forever. She was mortal, she had to be reborn the way the universe demanded her to be, and keeping her here was selfish of him.

"For as many times as Death wants you to hear it," he finally told her. Her smile had long faded, and she did not smile again at his answer. He fell apart at the grief on her face. "I love you," he whispered, cupping her face in his hands again, the same way he did right before the car rammed into her, killing her instantly. He always, always made sure she had a quick, painless death, unable to imagine the possibility of anything else. It was the least he could do for her. "You know I love you. You've heard that story twenty-eight times – you have heard me say the same thing to you twenty-eight times as well. Don't treat me like this, Miku. Please," his voice trembled. Miku slowly met his gaze, her green eyes shadowed.

"I love you too," her voice sounded like wind chimes. It was a temporary relief, a mere illusion for she would forget what she said the moment she returned to the mortal world, but it was relief nevertheless. Their kiss was soft and loving, and he felt her small hands pressing delicately against his chest, the wispy fingers almost melting into him. She wanted to melt into him, become part of him – he knew that, but he'd never allow it. He'd never allow her to disappear into him, because then she'd lose all sense of herself. And he didn't want to love a shadow of himself. She couldn't disappear, because then…what about him?

Centuries of doing the same thing, over and over again. Centuries slipping past him faster than silk from his fingertips, like water falling through cupped palms – and the only thing that ever kept him sane was Miku. His sister kept him grounded, but Miku kept him sane. "I have to go now," Miku whispered, getting up from the seat he had so carefully helped her towards. Her green eyes seemed to have become paler, almost covered by a misty film. "They are…they're calling to me. You can hear them," she cocked her head, listening to the faint voices which summoned her. His heart clenched. But he had no choice but to let go.

"I'll see you again soon," he murmured, inclining his head. Her hand slipped from his grasp. The girl with the long teal hair, the bright green eyes and rose petal lips, turned and smiled at him. He cherished the memory, holding it tight to his chest, as her entire figure seemed to shimmer and fade into nothingness. And he was left holding on to wisps of a dream.

* * *

Her body was broken. Or maybe she was broken. She didn't know anymore. All she knew was that there was a gaping hole in her heart, and the blond boy with the mournful blue eyes and the gentle smile seemed to understand – he understood her so well that she was afraid.

 _I know you. From somewhere far away…_ his gloved hands stroked her hair. He was her caretaker, the person who made sure she was safe from people, including herself. She rocked back and forth, glaring balefully at the legs that never obeyed what she wanted – why was she born with a perfectly normal looking set of legs if she was unable to use them? Why did she have to use a wheelchair to get around? She hated it, she hated everything.

"You're making progress," her caretaker told her in soothing tones. He had a voice like dreams and heartbreak. She could hear the current of sadness that ran through the words he spoke, and perhaps it was because she herself was broken that she could sense the same brokenness in his voice. "The doctor says that you'll be able to walk again if you keep up with your exercises. And then after that, maybe one day you'll be able to compete again."

"Don't patronise me," she sounded dead. Maybe she was. She felt dead. "We both know that isn't going to happen, Len. I can barely even get up from my wheelchair without your help. It would be better off if I just _died_ ," she hissed, clenching her fingers so tightly that her nails dug into her skin. She ignored the sting of pain, but what she couldn't ignore was the way her caretaker flinched, as though the very mention of death was enough to unnerve him. She knew he hated it whenever she spoke of death and suicide. Miku had never once probed into his past, since he seemed to prefer keeping his personal life private, but she often wondered if there was someone in his life who had once killed themselves. Was that why he had such a strong reaction to the idea of suicide? His fingers paused in her long hair.

"Don't speak of yourself that way," he finally said, his voice sounding firmer than she was used to. She blinked, startled, and jumped slightly when she saw his face suddenly right in front of her, blue eyes staring intently into hers. Kagamine Len was a truly beautiful boy. He was her caretaker, one of the volunteers who regularly helped out at the hospital, and he often came into her ward to cheer her up. He wasn't her regular caretaker at first, since he was only a volunteer instead of full-time staff, but the other nurses realised that she was more willing to open up to Len and suggested that, if he was willing, he could come and be her caretaker instead of them. Len, to her surprise, had agreed to that deal – surprise, since she knew that she was a difficult person to care for. Her paralysed legs made her a burden.

"I can't help it," she muttered, clenching and unclenching her fingers. There were tiny crescent-shaped marks on her palms. "I used to be a star athlete. You know that too – you know the entire sorry story. It was all over the news…Hatsune Miku went camping with her friends over the weekend and fell off a cliff in the darkness…and now, my legs are gone," her voice choked, and she buried her face in her hands, unable to move past her accident. "I was so _stupid_ ," she sobbed, shoulders shaking. "I was so _stupid_! Why did I have to go out of the tent in the middle of the night? I should have been more careful, Len! And all these people, whispering about me, giving me looks of pity – I don't want any of that!"

She felt his gloved hands stroking her shoulders comfortingly. It didn't help much, but it did make her feel a little less alone. "Shhh," he whispered, his smooth voice as soothing as ever. Some part of her mind thought that he could make a great living as a radio deejay or a podcast commentator. He had a truly lovely voice – the kind of voice she would want to hear right before she died, maybe. "Shhh. It's not anyone's fault. You were curious, and you wanted to get a better view of the stars in the night sky. Anyone else could have made the same mistake. Don't give up hope on your recovery, Miku. Your legs may well return."

"I don't know if you really mean that or not," she sniffled, her face still hidden in her hands. Her voice came out muffled. "But I hope that you do. It'd make me feel slightly better," she smiled tremulously, and it hurt her cheeks. She hadn't smiled in a long time. Through the watery tears she saw the beautiful blond boy smile back at her and stroke her hair one more time before he rose, towering over her in the wheelchair. Miku thought that if she had been able to stand, she wouldn't be much shorter than him. He wasn't that tall – in fact, Len just seemed like the kind of person who wanted to disappear, to just fade into the background.

She couldn't understand why he would ever want that. Someone so beautiful, so utterly, impossibly lovely, didn't have to be a wallflower. He could easily be famous as a model if he wanted to be. It was one thing she could never figure out, why someone so inhumanely perfect would want to be a volunteer at a small local hospital, when he clearly had much better prospects elsewhere. She personally could never fathom the idea. Before this, before the accident that had cost her not just her legs, but her entire life and career, she was always chasing after medals and achievements. She wanted to be the very best at anything and everything she could do. She never settled for second-best – no, she had to be the absolute first, and the last thing she wanted, the thing she most feared, was to sink into mediocrity and be forgotten by everyone. Len's quietness was the complete opposite of the Miku who existed before the accident. She simply couldn't understand why he was this way.

But she thought maybe she could try to understand. "Len, why are you volunteering here?" she asked, realising abruptly that in the four months she knew him and interacted with him, she had never once asked this question. Len glanced down at her, his gloved hands now tucked away into his coat pockets. He always wore gloves. She did ask about that once, and he made a vague comment about having a skin condition before changing the topic. She knew that he didn't want to talk about it, so she never brought it up again, though she did think about what the possible skin condition might be. What could be so bad that he had to wear gloves all the time? She had never once seen the bare skin of his hands, and she wondered if his hands were as fair as the rest of him…no, not fair. Pale. Len was so pale that he glowed.

"Why I'm volunteering here?" he echoed her question, and as his voice faded into the air between them, she found herself fidgeting, uncomfortable with the awkward silence. They were usually just caretaker and patient – she rarely ever tried to probe into his personal life, and he did the same for her. He offered physical comfort sometimes, extremely used to her sudden outbursts or her frequent mood swings, but he hardly ever told her more about his own life. Instead, he was the quiet, supportive, understanding listener that she never had. All her friends were overachievers, more concerned with their grades and their sports than with constantly visiting her. It got lonely sometimes. She couldn't imagine…not having him, actually. _But for some reason, it feels like you've always been there, watching over me_ …

Suddenly, he coughed, averting his gaze from her. He had dark blue eyes, so dark that they seemed unreal against his fair skin. One could silently drown in those eyes. They went on for infinity, entirely expressive yet at the same time, so distant and remote. "It's because of…a person, I would say," he finally spoke. She didn't know why, but she felt uneasy at the mention of a person. She didn't like the idea that he might like someone else – not that he was her boyfriend or even someone she was attracted to…or was she? She couldn't really tell, and she didn't want to imagine that she might be attracted to him either. If she ended up falling for her handsome caretaker, it felt like she was giving up on her previous life.

She had promised herself that she wouldn't even consider dating or romance until she had gotten to a place where she wanted to be – representing the national team for the Olympics. Was she really going to give even that promise up, just because of her legs? But she also knew that she was nothing without her legs. How could one do gymnastics without full control of their body? She was nothing now – she _had_ nothing. She was simply broken. A broken thing, not even worthy of being called human anymore. She was merely a _thing_ , a fetishized thing in a wheelchair. The new media darling, at least until the tabloids found some other poor victim to report on.

"Who?" she asked dully, the word slipping out due to instinct more than a real desire to find out the truth. He blinked at that, as though he had picked up on her reluctance, and he took a step towards her, becoming almost uncomfortably close – _almost_ , because Miku found that she wasn't actually that uncomfortable with this proximity. Len crouched so that he was on the same level as her, which she would normally find a little insulting, but instead she was so distracted by his eyes that she forgot to feel offended. His dark eyes were searching hers, and for once she thought she could see conflict – or maybe some other feeling? – in his gaze. If she looked long enough she could see her own reflection there.

 _You are so very, very familiar to me_ …the annoying voice floated through her mind again, a voice that was familiar and yet not. As though it was herself, from some time long, long ago – a self that was so ancient that she had been forgotten, absorbed into her body and becoming a voice of pure instinct rather than reason. "I can't tell you," he whispered, his lips moving – but she blinked and swore that they hadn't moved at all. Yet she had heard his voice. She knew she did. Was she hallucinating? Was the paralysis mysteriously extending to her brain, perhaps?

"Why can't you tell me?" she thought she was becoming dizzy, but she didn't feel nauseous at all. She was rather lightheaded, yes, but it was a pleasant kind of dizzy. Which was really rather strange. Maybe she ought to inform Len that she wasn't feeling too good. Yet at the same time, this conversation was interesting enough that she just wanted to keep it going – it wasn't often that she got into this kind of situation with Len. She had the feeling that he was on the very verge of opening up to her, which was a possibility that was exhilarating and, at the same time, utterly terrifying. What kind of secrets might Len possibly have?

"Because there is someone I love," his blue eyes seemed to overflow with grief, "and she would call me selfish for loving her and never letting her go, no matter how often she begs me for death…and I'm too cowardly to face up to that. But now I'm going to grant her wish," she gazed up at him, just becoming more and more confused as he spoke. He inhaled, meeting her gaze steadily, before he leant over to her and gently pressed his lips against hers. She stiffened, shocked by the sudden action, but was distracted from reacting to the kiss by the piercing cold that seemed to flood through her entire body, starting from where their mouths connected – it was a deep, mind-numbing chill, and she felt her body respond by slowly shutting down, her mind whispering to her to just _sleep_ , to give in and _sleep_ –

"No, no…" she tried to say, but her mouth didn't obey, and her eyelids grew heavier and heavier. Len withdrew, his fingers – when did those gloves disappear? – tracing circles over her cheek, and Miku sunk into what seemed like a very, very deep slumber. Everything was fading into black, and she wanted to be afraid, but there was a part of her which embraced the familiarity of this situation. It was like the darkness that came after she fell off that cliff, all those months ago. Had she secretly revelled in the pain, in the despair that followed the accident? Her body was broken, but her mind marched on, unyielding and unafraid.

"I love you, Miku," she heard Len's voice through the haziness, and she wanted to reach out to him, but her fingers wouldn't move an inch. "I'm sorry, but I must leave now. I'll see you on the other side," she wanted to protest, but again her body wouldn't obey. Something soft and cool touched her face, and then her mind gave way, and she faded into oblivion.


	16. kaleidoscopic

kaleidoscopic

Hatsune Miku took in a deep breath before she turned the doorknob, timidly pushing the door open. She peeked outside, heaving a sigh of relief when she realised that the living room was empty. Thankful for a moment of peace, she finally slipped out of her room.

He must have gone out. She didn't know where, and she didn't want to know either – she was just glad that he was leaving her alone. Again, she wondered how she had managed to end up in such a situation. She shook her head ruefully, pouring herself a glass of water in the kitchen and grabbing a bag of chips from her snack stash above the stove. She was getting a little hungry locked up in her room, but she didn't want to risk dealing with _him_ – it was only when the hunger became too much to bear that she decided to come out at all.

She ripped the bag of chips open, grabbing an entire handful and stuffing them in her mouth. She let out a quiet moan of bliss – after six hours of not eating a thing, the salty flavour of baked potato chips tasted like heaven on her tongue. Setting down the bag of chips, she washed her cup in the sink and placed it carefully on the rack before picking up her food again, and heading back to her room. She had an assignment to rush out, and the deadline was coming closer and closer – she could ill afford to be distracted right now.

As she made her way across the living room, humming happily to herself – she hadn't felt so _free_ in ages, despite the looming deadline she was facing – she suddenly heard the faint sound of metal keys jangling, and her heart abruptly dropped all the way to her feet. She stiffened up, head turning slightly towards the door – she could hear someone inserting a key into the lock, and before long that front door would be swinging open. Panicking, she tried to scurry back into her room before he could come in, but in her haste, she tripped over the edge of the carpet and fell, the bag of chips flying out of her hands. Bits of potato fell everywhere, and she groaned in despair, her earlier good mood completely shattered.

"Oh, I see the little brat finally decided to leave her room," a snide voice snaked across the living room into her ear. She flinched at the sound of that voice – like a dagger draped in silk, his velvet voice dripped with poison. There was no denying that he could sound nice when he wanted to, just that he never bothered to do so around her. "I thought you were dead in there, you were so quiet. Not that I'd be complaining if you really offed yourself."

She got up from the floor, brushing off her knees as she shot the newcomer a nasty glare. Kagamine Len glared right back at her, carrying two bags of groceries in each hand. He was wearing his thick winter coat and a woollen scarf, a black beanie jammed over his bright blond hair. She could barely see his face given how wrapped up he was, but there was no mistaking the sharp gleam of distaste that shone clearly in his deep blue eyes. She couldn't stand him, nor he her. "I wouldn't get your hopes up, Kagamine," she said sarcastically, hoping that he wouldn't be able to sense the tremor of fear that ran through her body. No matter how many times she interacted with him, she couldn't help but feel a little afraid.

He rolled his eyes, setting down his groceries and unwrapping the scarf from around his neck. Off came the beanie next, and then the winter coat, which he tossed carelessly onto the clothes rack beside the door. She took advantage of his momentary lapse in attention to scramble around the floor, picking up the fallen potato chips – the last thing she wanted was to give him yet another reason to pick on her. She wrapped the broken bits in some tissue, tossing them into the wastepaper basket next to the coffee table. Len watched her with an idle, almost poisonous kind of interest. "So, the clumsy oaf spilled some food again. Marvellous. As though the previous time we got an ant infestation wasn't enough for you."

"Can you just shut the hell up, Kagamine?" she growled, mourning a little when she found her bag of potato chips was now three-quarters empty. Half of it had already been just air, and another quarter of it was now in bits and pieces all over the floor. She'd have to vacuum the carpet later to ensure that she got rid of all the chips. "No wonder you don't have any girlfriend. It'd be a miracle if anyone other than Rin could stand your foul mouth."

Len rolled his eyes. "Oh, you shut up too, Hatsune," he snapped. "We both know that my relationship status is more a result of choice rather than me being unable to find someone. Which is more than can be said for you," he added pointedly, staring at her outfit. She felt the sudden urge to wrap her arms around herself and protect her clothes from his scrutiny. She knew she definitely didn't look her best – she was dressed in her favourite old pair of pyjamas, which were patchy in some places and worn-out in the rest. It was the kind of clothing that Len, the boy always clad head-to-toe in designer wear, would never be caught dead in. Even his sleepwear was fancy. She had seen his laundry enough times to know.

"Yeah, because all you have is an entire fan base of gold-diggers," she seethed, trying to ruffle his feathers. No matter what she said, he never seemed to care. She could hurl the worst insults she could think of at his face and he would just shrug it off, as though her opinion didn't matter to him in the slightest – and in truth, it probably didn't. Why would it? Kagamine Len, the son of the founder of Kagamine Corps, was one of the wealthiest people in their university. He hardly had to care about her insults. She knew she was just a nobody compared to him.

In fact, if Len's father had not been good friends with her own parents, she wouldn't even have met him, and they definitely wouldn't be living together. Her parents were fairly well-off, certainly wealthy enough to send her to the prestigious university she was now studying at without facing significant financial stress, but she had been concerned about housing since she did not intend to live in the university dormitories. Len's parents had been the ones who suggested that she move in with their son, an arrangement which took a great deal of persuasion for her to agree to. She had never been fond of the heir to the multinational company that was Kagamine Corps. In her opinion, he was nothing but a stuck-up brat.

His twin sister, Kagamine Rin, was the exact opposite of her brother – amiable, friendly and down-to-earth. But she was studying in an art school on the other side of the country, so it was impossible for Miku to constantly meet up with her friend to rant about said friend's _irritating_ twin brother. Len was a constant reminder of Rin – they looked so similar that one look was enough to tell that they were twins. Rin was simply a shorter, more feminine version of Len. They had the same bright blond hair, the same deep blue eyes, the same angular bone structure, the same long, slender fingers…they were similar in so many ways.

But Len had a snarky, almost sinister kind of smile that his twin sister didn't have. It made her so uncomfortable, because it felt like the heir was always plotting something. As usual, Len ignored her jibe, running his fingers through his hair and shaking out the blond locks. He had hair that was slightly longer than his sister's pixie cut, long enough for him to tie up into a ponytail. He hadn't bothered tying it today, and the tousled locks framed his face in a way that screamed ' _too-busy-to-bother-but-I-know-I-look-good-anyway'_. She was jealous. She took ages to tame her long teal hair every morning, whereas Len could literally roll out of bed and walk out of the door with bedhead, and everyone would just think he was some kind of amazing trendsetter. Life was just unfair like that, but what else could she do?

"I got some groceries since _someone_ kept staying home and eating all the food, so I'll just leave them here and you can go sort them out," Len yawned, tugging on the collar of his shirt. She glared balefully at said shirt – it was a plain, dark grey tee, but she bet that it cost more than her weekly allowance. Maybe even monthly. "I have lots of things to do now and appointments to set up tonight, so don't bother me. Run along and do whatever it is that plebeians like you do in your free time," he waved his hand, ignoring her splutter.

"Um, _who_ are you calling a plebeian –" she shouted at his back, but he simply slammed his door shut and she found herself yelling at a closed door. She gritted her teeth, incredibly annoyed, but went ahead and looked through the groceries he had bought back anyway. She couldn't just leave them on the living room floor, especially not if he had purchased perishables like milk or cheese, which he might have since she was aware they were running low on milk. This was more or less the arrangement they had come up with – she would cook meals for the both of them, and he would get groceries when they were running low.

"One day, I'll make you regret everything you said to me," she muttered quietly as she looked through the bags. Well, at least he had bought everything they needed – he might be a spoilt brat, but he knew enough about how to survive on his own to not need a step-by-step guide to buying groceries. She couldn't help but suspect that Len saw her as a live-in maid, but at least she could stay in this house without paying anyone rent – which _did_ kind of make her his servant, right? She shook her head, determined not to think about it.

* * *

Kagamine Len hated Hatsune Miku. Not because she was an innately hateful person – no, certainly nothing like that. Even he could realise that she really was…well, for lack of a better word, sweet. Perhaps not to him, but to her other friends, yes. She was a genuine girl who was trying her best to succeed in life, and she didn't have the wealth his family had.

She was doing pretty okay for someone who wasn't very rich, he had to admit. Though her clothes sometimes bordered on distasteful – you'd think someone who was good friends with his twin sister would know how to dress better – she was a sensible, diligent student the professors favoured, and her patience with him was pretty astounding. She may have been snappy, she may have lost her temper with him once or twice, but she never did so without provocation. He was the one who was fond of testing her limits, pushing her to see how much it would take before she lost control of herself. He loved testing her control.

Len hated her because the girl had no idea what she was doing to him, and he had no idea how to deal with his emotions. All his life he was raised to believe that he could only date another girl who belonged to his social class, simply because that was expected of him. He was the son of the head of an international conglomerate. He was raised his entire life in the eye of the press, his every action scrutinised by cameras and journalists. He gave regular interviews to tabloids and magazines. He attended galas and charity dinners, he hosted important businessmen when his father was unable to be present, he had been groomed from his very birth to succeed his father as the head when it was time for him to retire.

And his entire life, he had been told repeatedly that his partner would have to be someone used to the same life he was accustomed to, because there was no way a _normal_ girl would be able to withstand the pressure of celebrity life. It would ruin them, he was told, and that was what he believed. The pressure almost certainly broke him. Sometimes, he would lie awake in his bed at night and wonder what life would be like if he had been a regular boy, not someone dealing in millions and billions of dollars ever since the age of sixteen.

Kagamine Len had been brought into the business world young. Even now, at the tender age of nineteen, he was already assisting his father with business meetings, contract signings and other more tedious, administrative duties that accompanied the glitz and glamour of a rich man's life. So, he was slightly bitter that his sister's friend got away with all that, with her dull dressing and her simple desires and her sole wish to do well in school. He wished he could enjoy the same kind of stupid, _innocent_ lifestyle she had, but he knew he never could because that simply was not his fate. He was his father's son, and he had no other choice.

Rin could afford to escape their hectic family business and go to art school because she was a girl, and their parents were more lenient on her future career path than they were with him. He was the younger twin, but the one who faced the most pressure. He couldn't take it out on his sister, so he lashed out at the next alternative he had – his sister's close friend. It was a cowardly, pathetic thing to do, and he hated himself and _her_ both for that, but the acidic feelings wouldn't subside no matter how much he told himself that he was wrong.

Though it was more than just that. Even in her dowdy clothes, Hatsune Miku was beautiful. She didn't even know that she was though, which was the most innocent, charming thing about her. Unlike the other rich socialites who paraded their looks around him, sending him sultry stares and soft whispers when they thought they got his attention, Miku was a girl who would rather wear her hair in braids and hide her face behind a book than get close to any guy. It was a very refreshing change, even from the other girls in university who were more likely to party their weekends away than get anything productive done. Len grudgingly respected Miku's work ethic, though he would never admit this to her out loud. It would kill him and his pride if he complimented her just a little bit, so he knew that he never could.

He exhaled through his nose, tapping his pen impatiently against his planner. The sleek, black leather-bound planner lay there, blank and waiting, almost as though mocking him. He couldn't help but feel like he was forgetting some important appointment, but there was nothing written in the pages of his planner and he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what he might be forgetting. Was it his birthday? It was entirely possible, since he never could be bothered to remember things as frivolous as people's birthdays…but checking the calendar one more time, he knew that couldn't be it. His birthday wasn't for another month.

Len needed a break. He had been working at this report for the past hour and he was cranky and tired. The earlier trip to the grocery store had brought some relief, but that relief was now gone and he was back to staring at financial charts and business plans. He needed to get started on his own homework, but he knew that it would take less than an hour to get his essay done – the things he was expected to do in school were ridiculously easy. He had to wonder why he decided to study business when he practically lived and breathed this every day. There was nothing the school could teach him which he didn't already know.

"Dinner's ready," there was a knock on the door and he heard a familiar, feminine voice calling for him. His lips twitched. No matter how much he riled her up daily, she would never forget to tell him when it was time to eat. Maybe she was just being foolishly kind, or maybe she thought that being nice to him might encourage him to bully her less. He would expect the latter. Miku was anything but strong – he could always tell, no matter how loud she was or how harshly she spoke, that she was nervous about talking to him. It was so obvious.

"Coming," he called back, pushing away from his desk and rising from his chair. Ruffling his fingers through his hair one last time, he straightened his shirt and went out of the room, flicking the light switch off as he did. Miku was in the kitchen, carrying plates of food out to the dining room, and he quietly went to help her – he was hungry, he told himself, and he was helping her because this would let him eat faster. It wasn't because he actually wanted to help her out of the kindness of his heart. He was not kind. Businessmen were not kind.

Miku gave him a look of surprise when he intercepted her and lifted the bowl of soup for her, but she didn't object. Instead, she went to collect the cutlery, and together they went to the dining area, the warm light overhead illuminating the spread in a soft glow. Miku was undeniably a good cook, which was one of the few positive things he could say about her. It appeared that tonight, she had made grilled chicken thigh with rosemary seasoning, miso soup and creamy spinach. It was extremely appetising, and as the tantalising scent of the food wafted up to his nose, his stomach growled quietly. Miku heard, and he didn't miss the faint smile that crossed her face, but he ignored her and sat, silently tucking into his meal.

He scarfed the food down, too hungry to think about his table manners – he hadn't realised how hungry he was until he ate his first bite. Miku ate delicately, just as quietly as he did – she would never speak to him unless it was absolutely necessary, for fear of setting off his acidic tongue. He ate until he felt reasonably satisfied, then grabbed a tissue and wiped his mouth clean, carefully studying his dining companion as he tidied himself up. Miku was still eating, though she kept her eyes focused on the food instead of looking up at him.

The gentle curve of her neck as she bent her lips towards her fork was mesmerising. Her fair skin glowed in the warm light. Her teal hair, which she had pinned up while cooking in the kitchen, was beginning to come loose, and faint wisps of fringe were now curling over her forehead. Her green eyes were intently fixed on her plate of food, as though she might perhaps find the meaning of life in the leftover bones on the ceramic. She was a lovely girl, and that was something he would never deny, at least not to himself. But that was part of why he hated her so much. Because he was horribly attracted to her, and he couldn't have her. What could he do to push away that unwanted attraction? Be mean to her, that's what.

If she hated him, then nothing would ever happen between them, and he could graduate and leave this school with no baggage to bear. It was not for the sake of sparing her feelings, but rather his own. Len was in no way sentimental enough to care about her emotions, when he already had such tenuous control over his. The best thing he could do, honestly, was to just move out of the house, but this building was in one of the best locations available near their university, and there was no way he would compromise on his own comfort just to avoid a girl who _really_ meant nothing to him. They didn't even like each other.

Miku accidentally glanced up from her plate as she reached out to take another bowl of soup, and her breath caught – Len was staring intently at her, and for once there was no hint of hatred in his gaze. She thought she must be dreaming, for she never imagined that it was ever possible for Kagamine Len to regard her with anything besides a general disdain – but when Len continued to stare at her with that strangely penetrating gaze he had, she found that she had to look away, and she began eating at twice her original speed. His blue eyes were making her feel uncomfortable, and she wanted to go back to hiding in her room. Her room was the only safe haven she had in this entire house, and she treasured it greatly.

"I'll do the dishes," she heard him say, and she thought that she was hearing things now. She glanced up again, shocked, and saw that he was looking at her perfectly seriously, his fingers laced together to form a steeple. "I do know how to use a dishwasher, despite what you might believe. And even I know when to thank someone for an excellent meal, no matter who was the person doing the cooking. So, think of this as my gesture of gratitude – by no means does this indicate that I will do the same thing in the future," he barked.

Now that self-entitled snappishness sounded a lot more like the Kagamine Len she knew and couldn't stand. "Sure, do whatever you want," she muttered, still a little startled by his unexpected offer. She heard a faint chuckle, and couldn't believe that Len was finding any humour at all in _this_ situation – but before she could say anything to him, he pushed away from the dining table and turned away from her, in the direction of his room. Before he started walking away though, he glanced back at her, sly humour dancing in his gaze.

"Let me know when you're done, Hatsune. Though given the rate at which you're eating your share, school would be over by the time you've cleaned off your plate," he grinned. It wasn't a very pleasant grin. She gaped at him, and by the time she could think of anything resembling a coherent response, he was back in his room, and the door had slammed shut.

* * *

Nowadays, Miku was avoiding Len for very different reasons than before. He was making her genuinely uncomfortable now. In the past, she avoided him because she knew that just showing her face before him would unleash an entire torrent of jibes and borderline cruel teasing, but nowadays…she had to wonder if Len had contracted some sort of illness.

For one thing, she definitely wasn't used to those penetrating blue eyes following her no matter where she went. And she definitely wasn't used to Kagamine Len holding perfectly normal, reasonable conversations with her that miraculously didn't devolve into all-out petty catfights. Maybe he had a near-death experience or something which convinced him to be a bit kinder to her, and she would normally be grateful for such a change in their relationship were it not for the fact that it was just…downright strange! She didn't want to complain about something she had been dreaming of for ages, but there was just something so unnatural about his abrupt change in attitude that she couldn't help but wonder.

Now, she could feel his piercing gaze on her again as she shifted from side to side, trying her best to read her textbook. She was curled up on the couch because she found her room to be slightly unconducive – she recently received an entire shipment of snacks and books from her parents, and the parcels were all still lying unpacked in her room at the moment, which generally made for an extremely distracting work environment. But studying out in the open like this made her feel very exposed, even vulnerable, especially when Len was just sitting there in the armchair opposite her, reading his own book, not saying a word.

She wasn't sure if he really was reading or if he was just pretending, because every time she dropped her gaze to her text, she swore she sensed those dark blue eyes piercing right through her. She was never able to catch him in the act of staring, but she was sure she wasn't just overthinking, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to bolt back to the safety of her room. Yet, at the same time she couldn't just abandon her work, and she knew there was no way she would be productive with her room in such a mess.

The past few days were tense, but it was a very different kind of tension. More than once or twice she had caught his gaze lingering on her face, on her hands, on her legs – basically on parts of her body where he had no business looking. Wasn't _he_ the one who said that she had all the sex appeal of a cactus? Where had that statement gone, then? She blushed at the thought – or maybe Len really was getting frustrated with his singlehood. He hadn't had a girlfriend, or at least none that she knew of, in four years. Who knew what was going through his head? Maybe he had finally realised she was female. But she really didn't want that.

"Something on your mind, Hatsune?" his voice made her jump. She dropped her book in surprise, gaze flitting to him. Len was leaning back in the armchair, his book on his lap, watching her the way a snake might watch a cornered mouse. She swallowed, unsure how she was supposed to navigate this situation. Once again, she berated herself for moving into the same house as the Kagamine heir. This self-punishment happened on a very regular basis, but nowadays there was less and less conviction in her mental scolding, which made her afraid. Did that mean she was starting to not mind constantly being under his thumb?

"No, nothing," she muttered, scrambling to pick up her book again, hiding her face behind the cover. Len laughed. It was a rich, velvety sound, none of its usual poison dripping from it, and she gaped at him, unwillingly enchanted by the sound of his laughter. Why did he have to be so good-looking when he was downright evil? She had always known that he was handsome, but it was only recently that she _really_ paid attention to that, and she was pretty sure that it was something to do with his weird behaviour. It was flustering her greatly.

"I know when you're lying," he whispered, rising from his chair, approaching her slowly, with all the languid grace of a feline predator. "We've lived together for slightly over two years by now, and I know you better than you think I do. I had to study you, you know. Figure out how to make you tick," he was getting way too close now, and she retreated back into the couch, her heart beating rapidly. There was a feeling of tightness in her stomach, and she wasn't sure if it was due to fear or some other, more anticipatory kind of emotion.

"You're getting too close," her voice came out as a breathy whisper. The book fell from her hands, forgotten, as the boy leant over her, one hand pressed to the back of the couch on either side of her head. He was so close to her that she could smell the familiar scent of his cologne – a light, almost floral kind of fragrance that was both enigmatic and masculine. Her mind was utterly confused. This was not how things between her and Len were supposed to go. For the two years she had known him, his pattern had remained consistent, never deviating from the cycle of malicious teasing and angry tears she had gotten used to.

"Am I?" he answered, tilting his head, something almost mocking in the way he spoke. She bit her lip, wondering if she should try to squirm free by ducking underneath his arm, but as though he could sense her intention, he suddenly seized her shoulder, making her yelp in surprise. "Things are changing around here, Hatsune – and I'm sure that even someone as thick as you would be capable of seeing that. I don't think my sister told you yet, since she knows how we're like, and she was right to keep her mouth shut. But I'll tell you now," his other hand reached down to trace her cheek, and she flinched, shocked by the action.

"I think you're ill," she answered, her words a vague mumble. She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not. He _had_ been acting strangely the past few days, but she never thought that it would reach this stage. He was actually touching her now, and it wasn't in the brief, brusque ways she was used to – Len was more apt to watch her fall down the stairs than to reach out and save her from slipping. And whenever he did touch her, his hands were hard and rough, almost enough to bruise, but not quite. He was never – had _never_ been – gentle.

"Am I?" he repeated. She bit her lip, but kept her mouth shut this time, refusing to rise up to his bait if he happened to be baiting her. His thumb traced a line from her cheek to her jaw. "Yes, I don't think I've ever mentioned it…" he studied her, then he gave her a thin smile, one so insincere that it was almost empty. "My parents have arranged for me to marry the daughter of a property mogul. Since it's been so long since I've dated anyone worthy of my time, they decided to step in and take matters into their own hands. And my wedding is due once I graduate from university, in two years. There's no way for me to protest against this."

She blinked in shock – Len? Engaged to someone? She never knew that parents were still capable of arranging marriages for their children this way – wasn't this something that only happened in… _other_ countries? Not in a place like this, and certainly not for people like Len. But then again, what did she know of the customs of the rich? More importantly, she had no idea why Kagamine Len was telling this to her, of all people. In what way did he think that this piece of news would be of any interest to her? She could hardly care at all about what he did with his personal life, as long as he didn't interfere in hers, and didn't mistreat her.

But she couldn't just say that she didn't care. He was Rin's younger brother – someone who harassed her nonstop at every single opportunity he got, but still someone she grudgingly cared about, _just a little_. She wouldn't be cooking for him or talking to him if she didn't care at all. It was simply in her very nature to care – she was warm-hearted, and she hated to see another person suffer. Kagamine Len probably couldn't cook to save his own life, and though she loathed to be his personal chef, she didn't want to see him trying to survive on a lifetime supply of instant ramen. "And what does that mean for you, then?" she asked.

Another thin smile. "What that means for me?" he echoed. "A marriage to a girl I would never love. A marriage of convenience, I guess you could describe it. But what can I say? I was meant to be the head of a multinational company, a position that others would kill for. I'm hardly in a place where I can complain about how unfair my life is," he continued, his thumb still resting lightly against her jaw. He had lovely fingers, the slender fingers of a pianist, and she wondered if he actually could play the piano. He probably could. She frowned, pulling away slightly from him, and he did not protest, much to her relief. But his hand remained there.

"Why can't you fall in love with her? You haven't even met her," Miku reasoned, part of her wondering why she was even entertaining him in the first place. She didn't have time for any of this – she had to finish reading her assigned readings and get to work. Len's personal family drama was none of her business, but she couldn't help but feel slightly sorry for him. If she was in a position where she was forced to marry someone she didn't even know, she didn't think she'd be in the best of moods either. Maybe it was the knowledge of his recent engagement which made Len behave so strangely lately – this actually explained a lot.

He gave her a sharp look. "Who says that I've never met her?" he retorted. She clamped her mouth shut – true, he never did mention that the girl was a stranger. "I know her, and I've known her for a long time. She's a gold-digger in the truest sense of the word. I know that she only has her eyes set on my money and fame, possibly my looks as well, I don't know. And there's no way I could fall in love with someone who only sees the benefits of being _with_ me, when they look at me," he declared, narrowing his eyes. She felt like she was being drowned in their depths, he was so close to her. "Surely even you would agree with that."

She was affronted by the implication that she would support his money-loving, power-hungry fiancée rather than him – she may not be too fond of Kagamine Len, but she stuck fast to her morals and, even for his case, she would not think otherwise. "Yes, I agree with that," she tried not to sound too snappy, guessing that he wasn't in a very good mood at the moment. "Can't you convince your parents to call off the engagement? It's still your life, no matter how closely tied you are to Kagamine Corps. And your parents must love you."

Len rolled his eyes, and she was quite tempted to punch him in the face. It would be very satisfying, she was sure, but at the same time she didn't dare. "Yes, they love me, but they also love their business. I think it was a difficult decision for them to make, to basically sell off their only son, and no amount of arguing will change my father's mind. He's as stubborn as a dead log," he muttered. "I can live with that, really. I'm in a foul mood because of this news, but over time I'll get used to the idea. There's just one thing that I really want to do though, because I know once I graduate and I'm stuck with that hag, I won't have the liberty to do as I wish any longer. University is a pleasant escape from the lens of the paparazzi."

She frowned at his cryptic words. "What are you saying?" she questioned, forgetting about the fact that she was still trapped between Len and the couch. His hand suddenly touched her again, this time seizing her chin between three fingers and forcing her to look into his eyes. She swallowed. There was something unreadable in that dark blue gaze – he was so carefully blank that she couldn't even begin to guess what he might be thinking. But then he opened his mouth, and her thoughts fell silent, her heart racing away furiously in her chest.

"I'm saying that I intend to make full use of my remaining two years, pursuing someone I now know for certain cannot be mine," he held her gaze for a few seconds longer as she wondered whether he meant who she guessed he might be referring to – and in the very next moment, he leant closer, and suddenly his lips met hers. And her world stopped.


	17. stargazer

**A/N:** _I very rarely make song recommendations but listen to 'This Town' by Kygo, featuring Sasha Sloan, while reading this. It really sets the mood._

* * *

stargazer

"Let's get out of this town," she whispered, leaning over him on the couch, her long teal hair tickling his face. He put aside the book he was reading. "I don't want to just stay here for the rest of my life. There's so much more to see. Everyone else is settling down. I'm not ready."

"I know," was all he said. She frowned at him, hoping he would add on, but he sighed and looked down onto his lap, wondering what he could tell her. He couldn't beg her to stay again. She was tired. He was tired too. She poked his cheek when he didn't answer.

"Where will you go this time?" he asked, searching her eyes. She hesitated. He prayed, for just one second, that she would change her mind and decide to stay here with him.

"I don't know. Anywhere," she finally told him, and the confidence came back to her and her green eyes lit up with the excitement and adoration that he knew and loved. He never knew it would hurt so much to see her being herself.

* * *

"What's wrong with this town?" he asked her one day. He had listened to her explain before so many times, but he loved to hear the passion in her voice, even if it hurt to hear.

"Nothing ever changes here," she answered, her fingers dancing over his hand. He flipped his hand and caught hers, and she let him catch her. He didn't know how many more times he could keep her with him before he had nothing left to catch.

People said that if you loved something, you should let it go. And if it was meant to be, then it'd come back. He didn't know if she would come back though. He was afraid to release her because he didn't know if she'd turn back to look at him. Did that mean he didn't love her?

"I can change for you if change is what you want," the words slipped out of his mouth. She cried out in shock and shook her head, capturing his face between her delicate hands.

"No. You're the last thing that should ever change. I never want you to change," she made him promise that he'd always stay the same. She smiled. "I love you, Len."

"I love you too," he answered, an automatic response. _But not enough to let you go_.

* * *

He couldn't up and go. There was too much here, too much he would leave behind. His family, his friends, his house where he grew up, the people in this town. He couldn't.

He couldn't lose her. She was the one person who made his life worth living. She made all the difference in his world. When she smiled, he trembled. He could see stars in her eyes.

She wanted to go. She was wild and unrestrained, young and free. She was his girlfriend, but she was also a wanderer, too curious to be tied down, too active to settle. He wanted to stay. He was comfortable where he was, and he never wanted to leave. He wanted the warmth and comfort of a stable home. He wanted to see familiar faces and familiar sights.

They were incompatible. They should never have met. But they already knew each other, and they fell in love before they could sort out their differences. And she had compromised. He knew she was becoming more and more unhappy.

The last time she left, she didn't come back for five months. Each time she left, she went for longer and longer periods, and Len pined. All he could do was stare at the postcards she sent him while hoping that she would tell him she was coming back the next day.

She would call him once, maybe twice a week. And he wondered if there would come a day where the calls stopped, the postcards stopped, and she'd stop coming back.

* * *

"Do you have a girlfriend?" his students asked. He smiled, though the question sent a pang through his chest. He nodded, and they made little sounds of wonder and excitement. "Is she pretty?" they asked.

He thought of bright green eyes the colour of summer leaves and teal hair that felt like silk against his fingertips. He thought of long legs and slender fingers and a smile which broke his heart every time he saw it. "The prettiest girl in the world," he answered. They thought he was saying it _just because_. But he meant every word.

"Can we meet her?" they asked. He smiled again, a sad little thing. He wished he could meet her too. But he didn't say that aloud.

"She's always travelling. Maybe next time," he shushed them and went on with his lesson.

* * *

When he looked into her eyes, he saw mountains and faraway places he'd never been to. Places where he couldn't possibly exist. And that frightened him. He was slowly disappearing, fading into nothing. But she blinked and suddenly he could see himself again.

"Tell me about your journey this time," he told her. She laughed and showed him pictures. She recounted her experiences backpacking through exotic countries, a trip across a lake in an old Chinese junk, paper lanterns and night markets, mysterious men who bowed to her and flavoured their food with the strongest spices. A faraway life so unlike his own.

"Did you receive my postcards?" she asked. He refused to tell her where he kept them. She found them herself, scattered throughout his house, little mementoes proving that she existed.

* * *

"Why don't you come with me next time?" she played with his fingers, looking up at him. He was reading another book. She leant over and took the book out of his hands, and he glanced up at her. He was afraid to tell her that his heart ached every time he saw her.

"I can't…not this year," he shook his head. "It's a busy year at school. And I can't leave during the school term. I need to teach," he stroked her hair as she leant her head against him, sighing. She was disappointed. He was disappointed with himself for disappointing her.

"When will you ever have time?" she asked wonderingly, half-jokingly. He shrugged. He didn't know, and he wouldn't ever know. Time wasn't the problem. _He_ was the problem.

She stroked his cheek. "I love you, you know," she nuzzled against him. He snorted, and she smacked his chest, laughing. "Serious. I love you more than anything. More than you know."

"Would you stop travelling if I asked you to, then?" he asked, the question slipping out before he could think about it. She stopped and stared at him, her green eyes dead serious. He hoped that he hadn't said the wrong thing. He didn't want to argue over this.

"I love you because I know you won't ask me to do that," she relaxed, curling up against him again. His chest ached. He wrapped an arm around her, not having the heart to deny her. She thought too highly of him. He wasn't selfless enough to not try and keep her here.

But he didn't want to see that look of disappointment on her face again, so he kept his mouth shut and stroked her hair until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

"Where do you want to live then?" he asked while she was brushing her hair, peering at her reflection in the mirror. She paused and turned towards him, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Somewhere with an ocean view," she answered. "And as long as you're there with me, I don't care about anything else," she put down the brush, walking towards him. "All of our friends are getting married now. But we're still kids, you know. If you think about it."

"We're twenty-four, Miku," he reminded her. "We're not children anymore."

She laughed and shook her head. "You only stop being a child when you stop believing in yourself," she told him. And he thought that she might be saying the truth.

* * *

Once in a while, he thought he could get by without her. She'd been gone for three weeks. He was doing well. He hardly thought about her, and his students kept him distracted.

But night came and he saw her everywhere, in the shadows and corners of his house, in the clothes she left behind in the wardrobe, in his dreams where she was there and she was laughing at him like how she always did. But she wasn't there.

She didn't call him for a month. He was frantic with worry. But when she finally said that she was coming back tomorrow, he stayed up late all night, hoping to meet her.

His alarm rang, trying to wake him up, but he slammed the snooze button repeatedly. He was tired from waiting. But she wanted him awake, so she pulled at his arm, trying to get him up. "Wake up, Len. Wake up. It's a beautiful day today," she told him. His eyes opened.

She was in his room, but she hadn't been here for two months. He must be dreaming because she was never there. But she leant over and kissed him until he sank into her touch and forgot how to breathe.

* * *

"No. Stop. Don't tell me," he interrupted her when she began to talk about her experiences again, rattling off the names of lands he'd never been to, people he had never met.

She blinked, confused, but she listened. She sat on the bed next to him. "Why are you staring at nothing?" she asked. He was sitting alone in the darkness. He didn't know what to feel.

"I don't know. I'm just sitting here," he told her. She wriggled so that she was right next to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. His own arm was draped across her shoulders.

"Are you okay?" she asked instead. His body was tense and stiff.

"Just not in the mood to cuddle right now," he answered. She nodded in understanding and tried to get up from the bed. But he refused to let her go.

* * *

She was due to leave in five days. He broke down. "Don't leave. Please," he heard himself beg, and he hated it. She stopped, turning to stare at him.

 _Do you know what you're asking?_ He could read the question in her gaze. It almost sounded accusatory. He knew, he knew and he still asked. He would never forgive himself for that.

"I'll come back quickly this time. Three months. That's all. I promise," she caught his face between her hands, her voice quick and hushed. "I'll call more, I'll send you letters."

But he shook his head. "It's not enough," he told her. "It's not enough…" he repeated his words, and he sounded like a broken record. He wished he could stop himself.

She gave him a long look, but she said nothing. In the end, she turned and left the room, and he closed his eyes, holding his head in his hands. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

"Len," he heard her say his name, and he turned slowly, wondering where this was going. He was so afraid of losing her. She stared at him, then suddenly she sighed and approached him, looping her arms around his waist.

He was confused. "I love you because you speak your mind," she told him. He just nodded, unsure where this was going. "And I always knew you hated it when I left. But we have to live somewhere near the ocean. And we still need to travel at least once a year," she made him promise. He nodded again, still confused.

"Oh, come here," she laughed and pulled his face down towards her. He kissed her, closing his eyes, still not knowing what exactly was going on but allowing himself to sink into her anyway. He still didn't know if she would leave or not. But at least she was here.

* * *

"Congratulations, Len! When's the wedding?" he spluttered when his sister showed up at his house, holding a bottle of champagne, her blue eyes sparkling.

"What wedding?" he asked, confused. He didn't know anything about a wedding.

"Don't play dumb. I know you and Miku are getting married soon! You need to tell me everything!" Rin enthused, waving her bottle of champagne around.

At that moment, Miku came down the stairs, and her eyes lit up when she caught sight of Rin. Rin cheered again. "Congratulations!" she exclaimed. "And thanks for the invite, Miku!"

"I'm not getting married!" Len repeated, this time desperate. He had no idea what was going on. His girlfriend gave him a steady look, putting down Rin's bottle of champagne.

"You asked me not to go, Len. Isn't this what you meant?" she asked, blinking at him. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, the shock of the situation leaving him speechless.

She giggled. "I guess we should make it official, then. Len, will you marry me?" she asked, and her voice was completely serious. He still didn't know what to say, looking at her and his sister, wondering if this was all part of a dream.

The silence stretched on, and the bright smile on Miku's face began to wilt. His heart hurt to see her upset, and before he knew it, "yes" had tumbled from his lips. Miku laughed and ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck, and he held her, burying his face in her hair.

Rin seemed amused. "That's a nice way to do things, Miku. I'll let the rest of our friends know," she promised, walking out of the house and leaving them alone. Miku looked up at him, her arms still wrapped around his neck.

"Remember, we're going to live somewhere near the ocean, okay? Even if we don't move away from here, I don't want to live in the city. It has to be somewhere nice. Peaceful."

He nodded. "Anything for you," he whispered. His chest was light, and he was happy.

* * *

"Do you have a girlfriend?" his students asked again.

"A fiancée," he corrected them. The word was still new and fragile on his tongue. He was unused to saying it. "And she's the prettiest girl in the world."

"Can we meet her?" they asked. He could see the excitement on their faces. He pretended to consider, then finally he smiled.

"She's travelling right now before we get married next month. Maybe someday."


	18. home is just a pigeon away

home is just a pigeon away

Nakajima Gumo had been raised in the palace since he was young, him and his sister both. They were the head servants in the palace, with his sister in charge of _all_ the other servants, and him the prince's personal butler. It led to quite an interesting perspective of the world.

Being the prince's butler meant he had to be able to do many of the same things as the nobles, and more. It meant violin lessons, dance lessons, learning how to read and write in multiple languages, learning how to cook and clean and everything else that would make him the perfect servant. He didn't complain – rather, he very much appreciated the opportunities he was given. He knew that if he had not been left at the palace doorstep as a baby, he would not be the prince's butler now. He'd probably have died as a child or ended up a peasant.

Megurine Luki, the crown prince of the country, was a difficult master. He was not hard to serve since he was very self-reliant and rarely called on Gumo to help him, but he _was_ a very temperamental young man, and the responsibility of ensuring Luki did not step out of line or say anything to hurt people often fell upon Gumo's shoulders. The prince and Gumo were the same age, and Gumo and his sister were raised alongside Luki. It was Luki who insisted that they take the same lessons as him and become his companions, so Gumo always felt grateful to the prince for that. If it wasn't for Luki, he wouldn't be where he was today.

"Your Highness?" he called, knocking on the door. The prince didn't respond, which worried Gumo a bit, so he opened the door anyway and peered inside, wondering if the prince was busy. The eighteen-year-old royal was lying on the chaise lounge, an open book covering his face, leaving only his tousled pink hair visible. Gumo observed the slow rise and fall of his chest and guessed that the prince had fallen asleep. He sighed. And right before supper…

"Your Highness," he reprimanded, walking over to the window and drawing the curtains, allowing the soft orange rays of the sunset to flood into the room. "It's almost time to eat. You need to stop falling asleep right before your meals – it's not good for your digestion," he plucked the book off Luki's face, and the prince grimaced, one of his blue eyes flicking open.

"And you sound exactly like my mother," Luki complained, rubbing the back of his hand against his face. "Are you sure you haven't swapped spirits with the Queen? The Gumo I know used to let me sleep the whole day away if I wanted to," his words were slurred. "It's not like it'll be time to eat yet even if you wake me up now. Let me rest a while longer."

"Then you won't be able to sleep tonight, and you need to be up early tomorrow. The Duke of Calendale is visiting, and you must be there to receive him. _Your Highness_ ," Gumo sighed and reached over to shake the prince's shoulder. Luki had grabbed a cushion and stuck it over his face, blocking the sunlight. "Please stop behaving like a child. You are the Crown Prince, and you need to set a good example. Imagine your brother seeing you like this."

"Tell Yuma to go ride a horse into the sunset," Luki's voice was muffled. "Why should I care what my brat of a brother thinks? As if I don't have enough on my mind, what with Mother insisting that I get married to a nice lady. There _aren't_ any nice ladies among the nobility. They're all crass, simpering and laughing over whatever vapid thoughts cross their minds."

Gumo resisted the urge to sigh again. Sometimes, he really did feel like the prince's mother. "The Duke of Calendale's daughter is a fine young maiden. You may change your mind upon meeting her tomorrow," he reminded him. Luki lowered the cushion and shot him a baleful glare, but Gumo held his ground, staring down at his master – and more importantly, his friend. Everything the butler said was for the prince's own good, and Luki knew that too.

Finally, the prince sighed. "All right. Tell Mother that I _will_ see the simpering lass tomorrow, but only because _you_ are so insistent about it," he sat up, tossing the cushion over his head. Gumo went to pick it up, dusting it off wordlessly while Luki rose and stretched, ruffling his pink hair. "However, after tomorrow you must promise to sneak out of the palace with me."

Gumo's eyebrow twitched. "You want to visit the market again?" he asked, his voice filled with disapproval. Luki shrugged, and Gumo shook his head, unwilling to consider the idea. "The _last_ time we went to the market, Your Highness, you almost got caught by the palace servants. You know that you are not supposed to leave the palace as and when you wish. Perhaps it would be a better idea to let your father know about your plans beforehand?"

Luki rolled his eyes at Gumo's suggestion, dismissing it. "And we already know that my dear father will never allow me to go. He is adamant that I must stay in the palace, learning how to rule this country. I don't think I will need to take the throne for many more years," he shrugged. "The old man definitely isn't going anywhere soon, not unless he raises the taxes _yet_ again and upsets the merchants. But then, if he's overthrown, I won't be able to sit on the throne either, so no matter what happens, I don't have to be concerned," he shrugged again.

The prince's blasé confidence made Gumo shake his head. Sometimes, he wondered if the prince's younger brother, Yuma, would have been a better choice to be the Crown Prince. Yuma was infinitely more serious and responsible than his freewheeling elder brother; but according to law, the throne was always passed down to the eldest son, and unless Luki was willing to throw aside his position and run away from the palace, there was no way he could avoid the responsibility of the crown. "Will you change your mind if I disagreed?" he asked.

"Unlikely," Luki shot him a wicked grin. "Either you can accompany me, my faithful butler, or leave me alone and not know about my shenanigans until someone catches me and sends me back to the palace. It's up to you," he told him, his voice sickly sweet. Gumo knew that he had no real choice here. He couldn't possibly let the prince wander around alone.

"Very well," he sighed, agreeing though he knew they would get into trouble. "We will go to the market tomorrow." Luki grinned, casually slinging an arm across his butler's shoulders, and Gumo allowed himself a tiny smile – though the prince was difficult and rebellious, he was a good friend, and Gumo would always treasure the chance to serve his master.

* * *

"Your _Highness_!" Gumo hissed, searching around for the prince. They had gotten separated in the throng, and with that cloak covering Luki's trademark bright pink hair, it was practically impossible to find the prince now. "I hope I didn't lose him…" he groaned quietly to himself.

Weaving through the crowd – he disliked crowds, but he reminded himself that he had to find the prince – he tried to look for a tall figure wearing a dark brown cloak but said person was nowhere to be seen. It was Tuesday, which was market day, and there were even more people than usual hawking and purchasing wares. He should never have agreed to come to the market. Maybe he should have persuaded the prince to wait for a less lively day, but he also knew that Luki would not have listened. He wanted to come here to escape.

Luki hated life in the palace. He hated how stuffy and conventional everything was, and though he knew palace etiquette perfectly well, he never understood certain rules and why it was important to behave a certain way. Today's meeting with the Duke of Calendale's daughter was, frankly speaking, a huge fiasco. Luki took one look at the girl and promptly decided that he didn't like her. Why, only the good Lord knew. Luki immediately declared that he was not interested and left the room, leaving everyone stunned and the girl quietly sobbing.

Gumo could not deny that the prince had quite a mean streak in him. His mother would no doubt reprimand him for his rudeness later, which was another reason why the prince had slipped away to the market – so he could avoid his mother for as long as possible. The Queen, Megurine Luka, was a strict woman, and even Luki was a little afraid of her.

Just then, the crowds parted and he saw the cloaked figure he was looking for, right next to the fountain in the middle of the market. He hurried forward, determined to drag the prince back to the palace, and found that he was standing over a girl wearing a shabby dress and tattered shoes. There was a small woven basket on the ground next to her, with bright flowers trampled into the dirt all around them. Gumo hesitated. The girl was looking downwards, and he could see her shoulders shaking.

"How _dare_ you touch me," Luki was seething. Even from this distance, Gumo could hear his master. "Do you not know who you are speaking to?" he demanded. Gumo decided that he couldn't allow his master to make yet another girl cry, even if this girl happened to be just a peasant, and he went over to the prince, lightly touching his shoulder. Luki did not react, still glaring down at the girl, who was clearly sobbing now, her hands covering her face.

He was still wearing his cloak, which Gumo was thankful for, but they were causing quite a commotion and he feared that people would start converging upon them before long. "Your Highness, what happened?" he hissed quietly to the prince, hoping he could rectify the situation on Luki's behalf before anything went wrong. Luki glanced at him, and he could see the irritation in his blue eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but then the girl interrupted.

Gumo froze. "I'm…I'm really sorry," she babbled, her voice still heavy with tears. "I should have looked where I was going. I didn't mean to bump into you. I apologise," she bowed deeply to him. Her long teal hair covered her face, so he still couldn't see what she looked like, but…she had the sweetest voice he had ever heard. It was soft and melodious, reminding him of birdsong, and there was a tremor in it that made her sound so vulnerable. He could tell that she was on the verge of crying again. Even Luki paused.

"It's all right," the prince finally spoke again, and Gumo was startled to hear that his voice had softened somewhat. "What is your name?" he asked, and the butler wondered why he was suddenly taking such an interest in the girl. Was it just because of her voice?

"Um, Hatsune Miku, sir," she stammered, keeping her head bowed. Gumo was becoming very curious. He wanted to see what she looked like, but he didn't think this would be the right time to interrupt. "If there is anything I can do to…to make the situation better, do let me know and I will try my best," she gave them a wobbly curtsey, clearly still nervous.

"It's all right," Gumo cut in, deciding it would be best to steer Luki back to the palace now. "Let me pay for the flowers you lost," he gestured at the overturned basket, with its load of flowers scattered all over the ground. The girl gasped, her head shooting up, and Gumo caught sight of the loveliest girl he had ever seen – he couldn't help himself, his mouth falling slightly open in surprise. She had fair skin and large green eyes that were slightly red from crying, and fine, delicate features that would not look out of place among the nobility.

"No, no! It's all right!" she sniffed, hastily lowering her gaze again, as though she didn't dare to look at the both of them. "I shouldn't have been so careless. But thank you," she bowed once more, clasping her hands together. Gumo exchanged a look with his master, and Luki tilted his head towards the girl and the scattered flowers, silently commanding the butler to pay her anyway. Gumo nodded. He would have done so even without the prince's order.

"No, we insist," Gumo told her gently, but his tone was firm – he wouldn't take no for an answer. "Here you go," he took out his coin pouch, pressing two gold coins into her palm. The girl gasped, her fingers trembling at the sight of the coins, and she tried to return them, but he was having none of it. "Take it as compensation for all your troubles," he told her.

"But this is – this is too much for a few flowers!" she exclaimed, shaking her head. Gumo saw her face again and he bit his lip, unable to prevent himself from staring. She was so lovely…he hadn't known that there could be someone so beautiful among the peasants.

He always thought of the peasants as a faceless group of people. Poor, illiterate, struggling to make a living through farming and other forms of manual labour. He never really gave them much thought besides being thankful that he didn't end up as one of them. He also knew that allowing Luki to move among the peasants so often was probably influencing his attitude towards authority and convention, which was another reason why he'd rather his master not come to the market so often. He neither liked nor disliked the poor – most of the time, he just tried not to think about them, and he'd rather not interact with them at all.

But this girl was…she was beautiful. He couldn't think of any other way to describe her. Luki glanced at his butler, amused to see Gumo outright staring at her – it was the first time he saw his friend notice anyone of the opposite sex. From the rumours Gumi told him, there were a fair number of servants who were very, _very_ interested in Gumo, but the butler was so dedicated to serving Luki that he didn't pay those girls any attention. Luki wouldn't deny that the peasant girl was lovely. Perhaps now would be a good chance to help his friend.

"Your name is Hatsune Miku?" Luki cut in when Gumo continued to look at the girl, unable to think of anything to say. "You seem like an interesting girl. Why don't you follow us back home and tell us more about yourself?" he suggested, the ring of authority in his words making it difficult to say no. The girl hesitated. Her eyes were still a little red from crying.

"Oh…I'm very sorry sir, but I cannot," she stammered. "My mother is sickly and I am unable to leave her for long. But I appreciate your kindness," she curtsied again. Gumo nudged his elbow, clearly wanting to leave by now, but Luki was undeterred. Going against everything he knew not to do in public, he reached up to lower his hood, revealing his identity.

"That was not a request. I am Megurine Luki, Crown Prince of Azaria, and you will go with me back to the palace right now," he commanded. The crowds around them stilled the very moment he showed his face, and Gumo wanted to groan – of all things to do in public! The girl recoiled, panic all over her face, and Luki reached out to grab her arm, pulling her with him through the crowd. Gumo exhaled and followed them quickly as people began to react, the masses clamouring for Luki, reaching out to touch him as though it would give them good fortune. The peasants had many superstitions when it came to royalty – some of them believed that the touch of the prince would bring wealth or good health.

"Your Highness, what were you thinking!" he hissed when he caught up to Luki. The girl, Miku, was still stumbling after them, terror all over her pretty face. He glanced at her, and she met his green eyes, her own wide with panic, and he glanced away, not knowing what he could say to make her feel better. The prince was whimsical and capricious – he would not listen even if Gumo told him to let her go, and he felt a little sorry that she was dragged into this entire mess. The prince gave him a blinding smile and shrugged, saying nothing.

They ran all the way to their waiting horses, and Luki climbed onto his steed, pushing the girl up with him. She didn't protest, though she did look fearful when Luki settled behind her, getting the black stallion to gallop towards the palace. Gumo followed his master, albeit at a slightly slower pace, making sure that no one was following them.

He didn't want to know what Luki had in store for the girl. If he knew the prince, then he was probably up to no good. Perhaps he had decided that she was someone he'd rather marry, compared to all the other maidens his mother chose for him? That did sound like something the prince would do – but Gumo found himself hoping that this was not the case.

* * *

Hatsune Miku had no idea what was going on. One moment, she was just walking through the bustling market, trying to sell some flowers to make money for her mother's medicine, and the next moment, she bumped into a cloaked man who instantly started berating her for touching him. He had the haughty tone of a noble, and she began to panic, not knowing what else she could do. She was afraid he would demand that she compensate him for his inconvenience – she had no money left on her, and she couldn't leave her mother.

When the other man came to intervene, she felt incredibly grateful. He had his hood up and was cloaked just like the first man, so she was unable to see what he looked like. However, he had a voice as sweet and soothing as an angel's, the complete opposite of the first man. She instantly felt better just listening to his voice, which was filled with understanding. And he just seemed so generous and kind as well. For some reason, she immediately felt like she could trust him. And in the end, the first man revealed himself to be His Royal Highness…

Meaning the second man had to be his butler. His Highness' butler was never far from his side. They were the same age, having been raised together in the palace, and she had seen the butler on a few occasions before during royal speeches and ceremonies. She was just a lowly peasant girl, too poor to be invited personally to these events, but she had stumbled across certain proceedings in the past, and wherever the pink-haired prince went, a quiet, green-haired man with emerald eyes was always by his side, never saying a word.

It was the first time she heard the butler speak. She swallowed, hesitantly putting on the dress that the prince had provided her – she felt the smooth material glide onto her body, and she marvelled at how lovely the dress was. She was not worthy of putting on such a beauty. But the prince insisted – he brought her back to the palace and told her to take a bath, then put on the dress one of the servants brought to her. She was unsure why he was making her do all these. She just wanted to return home and see her mother. She had to make sure her mother was well, and that she had taken her medication for today. Her dry cough was getting worse, and Miku was afraid it might be a sign of something serious.

She opened the door, peeking into the room beyond. "I'm…I'm ready, Your Highness," she bowed her head, seeing the prince reclining in a chair, his hands folded together on his lap, looking bored. His butler was standing behind him, muttering quietly into his ear. Both men had discarded their cloaks upon reaching the palace, and she could now take a good, proper look at the butler. She knew what the prince looked like, so she was more interested in his companion. The crown prince, Megurine Luki, was undeniably handsome, but she could not help feeling curious about his butler, whose name she still did not know.

"Oh, look at you. You do clean up well," the prince looked at her, a smug smile on his face. "What did I tell you, Gumo? She could easily pass for nobility. I definitely have an eye for beauty, don't I?" he nudged his butler. Gumo lifted his gaze, looking at her, and his green eyes widened when he saw her. Miku bit her lip. She was surprised to find that the prince was on such friendly terms with his servant. They seemed more like friends than anything else. "Gumo, stop gawking at her. It is impolite of you," the prince's voice was teasing.

"Ah, yes, it is. Pardon my rudeness," Gumo inclined his head, a small smile on his face. So, the butler's name was Gumo…well, now she knew. She stepped out of the bathroom, the dress swishing around her ankles. It was such a lovely outfit, unlike anything she had ever worn. It was nice and thick, and it would be much warmer than the thin clothes she had at home. If she could keep it, she would give it to her mother to protect her from the chill. But she knew the prince wouldn't let her keep this dress. Why would he? It was probably worth more than all her worldly possessions. There was no way she could pay him back for it.

"You can keep this dress. It flatters you," the prince told her airily, and she blinked, stunned by what he said. Did he mean it? He really was generous…he saw the look of surprise on her face and laughed. "My little sister has many other dresses. She will hardly miss this one," he mused. "And I think this pale pink looks better on you than on her anyway. Mizki does not seem to understand that wearing pink clashes horribly with her hair. Is she blind?"

"Pink _is_ her favourite colour," Gumo pointed out. The prince rolled his eyes, sighing. Miku just continued to stand there, unsure what she was supposed to do now. Thank the prince for his kindness? Would she be allowed to go home after that, then? The butler glanced at her again, and there was a kind, warm smile on his face. "You do look stunning though," he told her, and she felt her heart beat a little faster at the compliment. She blushed, lowering her gaze, and nodded in thanks. "I don't think I've seen anyone as beautiful as you are."

"You say that to all the maidens who enter the throne room," the prince muttered. Miku glanced at Gumo, wondering if that was true – if it really was, she would feel just a tiny bit crushed. She really shouldn't since nothing would ever come out of meeting Gumo. He was not royalty, but he was _still_ the prince's personal servant and favoured companion. He belonged to a world that was not hers. She was just a lowly peasant who knew nothing, and he was polite and well-mannered and everything she was not. He probably saw many ladies from the nobility every day. Who was she compared to the daughters of the aristocrats?

"It is only polite. You should be doing the same thing," Gumo reprimanded. Then his tone softened. "But I mean it when I say it to you, Miku. You _are_ lovely," he murmured. She looked up again, blushing, and saw him gazing at her, curiosity in his expression. "You said that your mother is sickly. What kind of illness is she suffering from, if I may be so bold to ask?" he questioned. Her blush deepened. Why was he speaking to her as though she was someone special, as though she was worthy of his respect? She was not a noble lady.

"Um…she's coughing," she stumbled over her words, slow and uncertain. Today was a truly strange day. "And she's always tired, and she has pains in her chest. The doctor says that it might be tuberculosis. I'm trying to save money to help her get treated, but it's hard," she admitted, looking down at the floor. "It's winter and flowers are difficult to find. I have dried ones left from spring, but there are not many and…winter is always the hardest season."

Both men were silent for a while. Then the prince cleared his throat. "Gumo, give her some money and see to it that her mother gets treated," he ordered. "We have a cottage in the palace grounds, you can live there. Gumo, are we in need of any more servants?" he asked.

The butler nodded. "The chef is looking for a new assistant," he explained. "Miku, are you a good cook?" he smiled, and he had the gentlest, kindest smile she had ever seen. She took in a deep breath, wondering if this was a dream. It seemed so unreal. Could something like this really happen to her? She'd always been struggling to get by. Life was cold and difficult, and she was afraid her mother would die and leave her alone, just like her father had…

"I am not excellent, but I can cook," she admitted. Gumo's smile widened, and he nodded at her. She met his gaze shyly, twisting her fingers in the smooth silk of her borrowed dress. If he was really willing to take her in, both her and her mother…she'd be ever so grateful.

"All right, that's decided," the prince declared, clapping his hands. "Send men down to her dwelling and move her mother here. And Gumo, I expect you to get her settled in with the other servants. I must explain my reaction to the Duke of Calendale's daughter to my mother dear, so I will not be present," he grimaced. "Let me know when everything is done. I _am_ curious to see how Gumo will help the girl who so clearly has him enthralled," he added playfully.

Miku's face flamed. She saw Gumo's face redden too. "Don't be ridiculous, Your Highness," he spluttered, shooting her a nervous look. "We have only met for a few hours. You are simply reading too much into things –" but the prince waved his hand idly and got up from the chair, departing the room without another word. That left her with Gumo, and after a moment, he cleared his throat, avoiding her gaze. "Shall we…look for your mother now?" he asked awkwardly. She nodded, trying not to look at him as well. Maybe this was all just a dream.

* * *

"You're a good dancer. You learn very quickly," Gumo complimented her. She ducked her head, blushing again – he was spending time with her, teaching her the basics of ballroom dance. She was quite sure he was only saying this to be kind – she had stepped on his foot at least five times in the past two hours, and she felt terrible about it even if he said nothing.

"Thank you for your kind words," she withdrew, giving him a curtsey. He and his twin sister, Nakajima Gumi, were the head servants in the palace, and given that she was one of the servants as well, that made Gumo her superior. She was always mindful to show him the respect that he deserved, especially since he and the prince were the ones responsible for saving her and her mother. The prince himself had insisted on getting the royal physician to look at her mother, and with good medicine and care, her mother had slowly recovered.

Now, her mother was one of the chambermaids, while she was…frankly, Miku was not quite sure what she did. She was originally meant to be one of the chef's assistants, but then the prince looked at her and suddenly declared that confining her to the kitchen was a horrible waste of her beauty. Now, she was usually summoned to accompany the prince and Gumo whenever they left the palace, and the rest of the time she spent with the prince's butler.

"You do not need to be so formal with me," Gumo chuckled, a smile on his face. She bit her lip and nodded – she couldn't help being stiff around him. Around Gumo, she was nervous – she found herself becoming more and more attracted to him as the days passed, but she could never really tell if he liked her back. His greatest priority was always the prince – when Luki called, Gumo would go to him. Miku knew that Gumo would give up everything he had to serve his master. He was probably the most faithful, devoted butler she would ever come across. And that made her reluctant to make her feelings for him known. Would he return them? Or would he simply state that he could not afford to be distracted from the prince?

"I will try my best to remember," she promised. He stepped forward, holding her gaze, and she swallowed, unable to look into his eyes. Suddenly, she felt his fingers touch her chin and she stiffened, glancing up. He was tilting her head, studying her, and he was not smiling.

"Are you scared of me?" he asked, sounding concerned. She shook her head frantically – no, she was not scared. She had never been afraid of Gumo. He was the kindest man she knew. This was someone who went to the garden every day, feeding all the birds and squirrels that made the palace grounds their home. He tended to the flowers, he was on friendly terms with all the servants – it did not take her long to realise that the girls in the palace were all rather infatuated with him, though no one said anything due to Gumo's undying loyalty to Megurine Luki – and he really was genuinely _kind_. There was no other way to describe him.

"Then why do you hesitate to look me in the eye?" he continued, and his voice was soft. She swallowed. How was she supposed to explain the reason why? She was too shy. She did not want him to know that she had feelings for him, afraid that it would make things between them awkward. "It makes me feel like you dislike me," there was a frown in his words, and she hastily looked up, shaking her head again. He raised an eyebrow, smiling once more. "Miku, I don't expect you to be fully comfortable with me – you've only been here for two months, after all – but it would be nice if you told me about any concerns you may have. I am the prince's butler, one of the head servants, and it is my duty to ensure that you are well looked after."

She felt slightly disappointed when he said that. He treated her like all the other servants – she was simply another person for him to take care of, not anyone special. But what did she expect? She was never anyone _special_. Before this, she was a simple flower girl, never daring to imagine a life beyond her measly possessions and the fleeting moments of happiness she had. It was already a miracle that she was a servant in the palace now. She should not be so greedy. "No, I do not have any concerns. But thank you for being so considerate, Gumo."

His gentle grip on her chin remained, and she felt his thumb slowly brush her cheek. "If you say so, then that is good," Gumo answered. "How about your writing lessons? You have been practicing, yes?" she nodded obediently, and his smile widened. "That's good. I've been thinking of ways I can help you," he told her earnestly, and she listened, her heart speeding up when she saw the wistful look on his face. "The palace has a few messenger pigeons. One of them is trained to always find me, no matter where I am. I will give him to you – his name is Rupert – and when you wish, write me a letter and get Rupert to fly it to me. I will read it and answer you as quickly as I can, even when I am away from the palace. How about that?"

She blinked. "That sounds like it would trouble you," she ventured cautiously. Of course, she was excited at the prospect of writing letters to Gumo – it would help her practice writing and reading, and it was definitely nice to send him messages – but she did not wish to give him any more trouble. He was already spending a lot of time with her, trying to help her get used to palace life. Her mother, for some reason, had already settled in much faster than she had. She and the other chambermaids were very close, and Miku often saw her mother happily chatting with the rest of the servants after her work was done. But Miku was alone.

Unlike her mother, her duties in the palace were very different, so she did not often get to interact with the other servants. Though they all treated her cordially, she had no close friends, and that sometimes made her feel a little lonely. Gumo seemed able to sense that, and he spent plenty of time with her – in fact, she was certain that if Gumo was not by the prince's side, then he was with her, teaching her new things. He taught her how to dance, how to read and write, how to choose the finest tea leaves, how to enjoy music and poetry, how to appreciate the different flowers in the palace gardens. While she greatly enjoyed his company, she also felt terrible about taking up so much of his time. Was he not tired?

"No, it won't be any trouble at all," he promised, meeting her gaze. His green eyes were so intense, and they were just a shade darker than her own mossy green. He had beautiful emerald eyes. "I greatly look forward to the letters you will send me," he smiled. "In the past, accompanying the prince to other nations and running the occasional errand for him could be rather lonely. But if you send me letters, then…it would brighten my day," his voice became a murmur, and for a moment, it felt like the world only existed for the two of them.

She gazed at him, her heart racing. He was looking right back at her, his fingers still on her cheek, and if her eyes were not playing tricks on her, she thought she saw him leaning just a tiny bit closer. His green gaze was soft and tender. She felt herself tilting her head up slightly, her eyelids lowering. They were so close to each other that if either one of them moved just a tiny bit, their lips would touch – but before anything could happen, the ballroom doors burst open and the prince strode in, looking like he was in a terrible mood.

She and Gumo sprang apart from each other, Miku's heart hammering in her chest. What had just happened? She couldn't help but feel a little grateful for Luki's arrival. Who knew what she would have done if he came in even just a second later. Luki did not appear to realise that he had interrupted something. "Gumo," he called, "my mother wants me to visit the Marquis of Ayre, apparently she promised him that I would talk to his daughter in exchange for a few favours. I don't know why I'm being used as a bargaining chip when it's _her_ personal affair, but she would never let me hear the end of it if I refused," he grumbled.

Gumo's lips twitched. "As you wish, Your Highness. When are we leaving?" he asked, his attention diverted entirely to the prince. As usual. When Luki was in the room, it was as though everyone else ceased to exist. Miku tried not to feel jealous about that – he was the prince's butler so naturally, he paid Luki the most attention. She suddenly found herself wishing that she could just fade into the background and disappear. Luki shrugged.

"Tomorrow morning," he said carelessly, running his hand through his messy pink hair. The prince had hair that was impossible to tame. She had seen Gumo try on many occasions, but the tousled locks would come loose after a while, tumbling around his face. Though it _did_ add to his roguish charm. The prince initially came across as rude and arrogant, but as she got to know him better, she realised that he could be very caring towards those who were important to him. Despite how often he grumbled about his mother, the Queen, he loved her deeply. His little brother and sister, Yuma and Mizki, also looked up to him a great deal.

That was why she could never fault Gumo for his dedication to the prince. The prince was a kind man, though that was often not obvious from the beginning. And she knew that it was the prince who insisted on Gumo receiving the same education as himself, meaning that Gumo viewed him as not only a master but also a benefactor. She understood perfectly. And she knew that she really shouldn't feel upset that Gumo gave him so much attention.

"Tomorrow morning…?" Gumo echoed. "That is very soon. Perhaps you will be able to put your writing skills to the test sooner than you thought," Gumo turned towards her, giving her another sweet smile. She smiled back, though hers was a little shaky. She was afraid of writing to him, knowing that her letters were still rough and her spelling still atrocious. She was afraid that he would laugh at her efforts, but as he continued to gaze at her with that tender smile on his face, the more she knew that she was simply overthinking things.

"Oh, yes, Miku. Here you are," the prince suddenly seemed to notice that she was in the room as well. "You grow lovelier every time I see you," he observed, approaching her slowly. She was tempted to back away, but that would be rude, so she held her ground, lowering her gaze. The prince stopped right in front of her. "Spare me the formalities. Come on, look at me," there was amusement in his words, and she peeked up, feeling shy. He just grinned at her. "You have a smile that would light up all of Azaria. I wonder how is it that I never met you sooner," he mused. "Maybe if I had you brought into the palace as a child, you would have the same upbringing as Gumo, and I could convince my mother to let me marry you. You certainly are beautiful enough to satisfy her. Like a diamond in the rough."

She felt her face warm. When the prince talked so casually about marrying her, she didn't know how to respond. She would never dare imagine life as a princess – and quite frankly, she did not want to. She was content being a palace servant and being treated like any other person. Being the princess, being royalty – all this seemed to require so much effort and self-awareness. The royal family had to be on their best behaviour at all times. It must be so suffocating to live that way. "You flatter me, Your Highness," she told him modestly.

"And you are too hard on yourself," he shook his head, blue eyes dancing with merriment. "If I wanted to give my mother a good shock, I would tell her that I intend to run away with you…" he leant down towards her, whispering in her ear. "But then I'm afraid I would have to answer to Gumo. He would never let me hear the end of it," he confided.

She glanced at the butler. Gumo was staring at the prince, and for once, she couldn't really read the expression on his face. He definitely did not seem pleased, and she wondered if he was upset that the prince was talking to her so intimately. She knew she was of low status and the prince should not be interacting so familiarly with her. She had no right to even be in the same room as him. "Your Highness, it is not proper of you to speak to me like we are friends," she told him, flustered. "I am but your lowly servant. The queen would not be pleased –"

"Oh, enough talk about my mother. Bringing her up does nothing but worsen my mood," he sighed. He glanced at Gumo as well, then turned back to wink at her. "Do you want to play a game with me?" he asked. She stared wonderingly at him, and he grinned. "Stand here," he instructed, making her move to a position right in front of him. She was unable to see Gumo from where she stood. "And just stay very, very still," he added, his blue gaze intense.

She obeyed. "Close your eyes," his voice softened to a whisper, and again she listened. She felt his slender fingers on her face and she wanted to protest, but she recalled his order and forced herself to remain silent. The prince approached her, and she could feel his breath on her face – she shivered, suddenly very aware of how close he was. His thumb stroked her cheek gently, and her fingers clenched the fabric of her dress. Then Gumo called out.

He sounded panicky. "Your Highness, _what_ are you doing?" he exclaimed, hurrying over to them. Her eyes flew open and she let out a breath she didn't realise she had been holding. Luki blinked, staring innocently at his butler, and Gumo touched her shoulder, catching her attention. Her breath caught. There was a frown on his face. Was she in trouble for getting so close to the prince? She shouldn't have listened to him. "Did he kiss you?" he asked.

She shook her head, unsure where this was going. The look of relief was so obvious on his face that she wondered if she was seeing things. "Your Highness, you need to stop being so _capricious_ ," Gumo scolded his master, letting go of her shoulder. "You are the prince, you need to begin acting like one before the Queen decides to lock you in the palace for good!"

"All right, all right," Luki held up his hands in surrender. "I swear Gumo, you're worse than my mother. First, you stop letting me steal candy from the kitchen, and now you won't let me talk to my favourite maiden," he let out a long-suffering sigh. Miku blushed. Since when was she Luki's favourite girl? Or perhaps he was just teasing her. That seemed more likely.

Gumo shook his head. "I don't want you being a bad influence on her," he told him tersely. She was startled by that response – she thought Gumo would be more concerned about the prince than for her. "Miku is pure and sweet, unlike _you_. Your heart must be made of coal."

"Your words hurt me," Luki let out another exaggerated sigh. "Come, Gumo. We need to prepare for our trip tomorrow. We will be gone for a few days," he addressed her, and she nodded in response. "Therefore, you are free to do as you wish while we are away. But I assume that Gumo would want you to update him regularly regarding what you do. He is ridiculously overprotective," Luki rolled his eyes. Gumo tried to argue, but the prince cut right across him. "Send him letters so that he will not drive me insane with all his fretting."

She nodded again, this time hesitantly. Gumo appeared to have given up on the prince, instead just shaking his head every so often while his master spoke. "Don't listen to him, Miku," he mumbled. "But…" he met her gaze, and he looked almost shy. Her heart nearly stopped. "If you do want to send me letters, I won't complain," he confessed.

"I'll write to you," she promised, blurting the words out thoughtlessly. Gumo's smile was as bright as the sun. He thanked her, and he sounded so sweet and genuine – Luki just looked on, clearly bored, and a few seconds later he dragged his butler out of the room, declaring that he wanted to get his mind off visiting yet another simpering, vapid maiden.

Miku wondered what she had gotten herself into. She was terrified of writing to Gumo – he was so cultured and refined, and he was everything she was not. She knew that the letters she sent would be horrible compared to his. She knew she wasn't really anyone important or special to him. Gumo cared for all the servants equally – he probably got all of them to write letters to him too. But all these thoughts still didn't manage to calm her racing heart.

* * *

She was getting used to receiving his letters. Even when he was in the palace, Gumo liked to write to her. He had beautiful, elegant handwriting, and it made her feel horrible about her own scratchy, ugly letters, but the first time she admitted that she hated her handwriting, he promptly told her that it didn't matter – it was what she wrote that was most important.

Gradually, her handwriting began to improve, and she grew more confident about writing to him. There was an unconscious smile on his face as he read her latest letter to him – it was a fairly short letter describing her day. She woke up and visited the birds in the garden. There was a small deer which sometimes ventured into the palace grounds too, and she was right now in the process of trying to befriend it. The roses were blooming, she told him. And Gumi was very good at making desserts. He always knew his sister was an especially talented baker, but reading it in Miku's letter made him chuckle. He could imagine the wonder in her voice.

She didn't know it, but he kept every single letter she wrote to him in a small wooden box, each and every one painstakingly folded and packed together. Whenever he found himself beginning to miss her, he would take the letters out of the box and read every single one all over again, tracing his finger against the careful black strokes. He knew that her first letters – the short ones which hardly told him anything, which were messy and shy, the sentences short and uncertain – took the longest amount of time for her to write. It was so easy for him to write back to her, and he took for granted just how quickly he could craft a letter.

Miku took far, far longer than he did to write a single sentence. She was born into poverty and did not even know how to wield a quill, much less write with one. He taught her how. He wanted to teach her new things, but secretly, he also wanted her to learn how to write just for this reason. He wanted to receive her letters and read them when he was unable to be near her. The letters were like representations of _her_ – it was like seeing her and holding her, hearing her sweet voice telling him about her day, witnessing the lovely smile on her lips.

He missed her. Gumo sighed, reaching out to stroke Rupert. The pigeon cooed, waiting for him to write a letter in response so he could deliver it back to her. Gumo was currently in another state, collecting something for the prince. One of the noblemen had a gift for the prince, hoping to gain his favour, and the prince was too lazy to make the trip himself so he sent Gumo on his behalf. He would make the journey back home tomorrow, and it would take three days. Three days before he was finally able to see Miku again. He smiled.

Truthfully speaking, he had never expected to grow so fond of her. He had always thought of her as lovely, but with the passing of the months, he started to realise that he was more than just physically attracted to her. She was shy and sweet, easy to fluster, her face going red at the slightest tease. Sometimes just standing close to her could make her nervous. It had gotten better as she steadily became used to him, but sometimes he would accidentally brush against her – though not always accidentally – and she would leap away, face flaming.

But even her constant embarrassment was adorable. The only thing Gumo couldn't stand was the way she always belittled herself, claiming that she was only a lowly servant who had no right to be near the prince…or near _him_. It wasn't that Gumo didn't understand. But he wished that she would know her own value. The prince had not decided to bring her back to the palace due to her social status. He did so because of some other reason, something else he saw in her that he thought would be valuable. And Gumo was glad he brought her back.

She was intelligent, though she did not think that about herself. She picked up new things quickly, and though she never mastered anything from the very first instant, she learnt fast. It was a delight to teach her anything new – she took in knowledge and remembered things easily, though she always insisted that she hardly knew anything. And she was _kind_. Miku was the sweetest girl he knew. She often made little flower chains and gave them to the children of the palace servants. All the children adored her. Small animals went willingly to her, eating from her hands, and the palace servants had nothing but praise for her.

Sometimes, when he looked at her, he found himself wishing that he could just lean over and cup her face in his hands and let his lips ghost over hers, a brief kiss just so he would finally know what it felt like to touch her, to taste her – but then he would hold himself back, knowing that he would frighten her and…knowing that he could not do such a thing. His first loyalty was to the prince. He didn't know if he would ever be able to have another person in his life. He couldn't disobey a single order the prince gave him. But then Miku…

He couldn't deny that he loved her. When he looked at her, his chest felt tight, and he just wanted to hold her close to him and bury his face in her teal hair. She looked so vulnerable, and he wanted to _protect_ her. He could still remember the first time he saw her, with her red-rimmed eyes and her shaking shoulders and the most delicately _beautiful_ face he had ever seen. He loved her, but he couldn't have her. He didn't know if he could ever hold her.

Gumo did not want to hurt her. That was the main reason why he never said a word about his feelings for her. He thought that she might like him too – her shyness, the way she would peek at him from underneath her eyelashes, the way she seemed to hesitate when she said his name, glancing away when he caught her eye – he suspected that his feelings were not unrequited. But what could he do? He couldn't just run away with her into the sunset. He was Luki's butler, the person the prince trusted the most in the world. He couldn't be with anyone else. Loving Miku would compromise his devotion. It would tear him in two.

Yet the possibility of Miku falling for someone else _hurt_. It was a selfish wish. He was perfectly aware of that. If he was unwilling to do anything, that he should not hold her back from finding love elsewhere. But his heart grew heavy at the mere thought. Before he met Miku, he never found anyone else who could make his heart race. He genuinely enjoyed the company of others, but he never yearned to be near them. He didn't wish to spend every waking moment with them, and he didn't feel disappointed when they told him they had to leave. When Miku shyly said she had to go and walked away from him, it took everything he had to not call out to her and plead with her to stay with him. But he never said a word.

Luki was sick of him pining. Right before he sent Gumo on this errand, the prince drew him to one side and tersely told him to make his move soon. " _If you don't, then someone else will. You are not the only man in her life,_ " he reminded Gumo. The prince's words felt like cold water being thrown all over him. He knew that the prince spoke the truth.

He wasn't the only servant in the palace, and there were others who found her beautiful as well, others who did not make their attraction to her a secret. All this time, Miku never said or did anything to indicate that she was aware of the other men, but it was still something he felt nervous about. If he waited too long…Luki was right. But again, how could he break the promise he made as the prince's personal servant? He served his master with utmost faithfulness. He couldn't make space for anyone else in his life. He sighed, his heart heavy.

Picking up a blank scrap of parchment, he dipped his quill in ink and began to write. There were so many things he wanted to say, but he kept it brief – he responded to everything she told him in her letter, about the birds and the deer and the blooming flowers. He jokingly asked if Gumi made any pastries for him, and told her to take good care of herself. The tip of his quill hovered over the surface of the parchment, wondering if he should admit in ink that he missed her – something about writing it down made it seem so tangible, so concrete. In the end, he changed his mind, signing off and rolling the parchment up.

He attached the letter to Rupert, and the messenger pigeon flew out of the window, going back to Miku. He gazed out of the window, watching until the silhouette of the bird was gone. He wished he could return to her too. But wishes were nothing but empty dreams.

* * *

He held her hand tightly, concern all over his face. Miku was lying in bed, a small white towel on her forehead. She was running a fever, and he hadn't left her side all day.

Shortly after he returned, Miku came down with the flu, and while he knew that she would eventually recover – the royal physician reassured them that it was not tuberculosis or any other life-threatening disease – he was still worried. She seemed terribly ill. Her hand was frail in his, and he gently ran his thumb over the back of her hand, watching her.

"Please get well soon," he whispered, pressing his lips to her skin. She was so cold. It pained him to see her suffering this way. Even when Luki became ill…Gumo was concerned about his master whenever he got sick, but he didn't feel the _fear_ he did right now. He feared that she would never wake up. He feared that she would worsen and succumb to her illness. He feared – he feared that she would slip away from him before he had the chance to tell her how he felt.

"Gumo…?" he heard her voice, weak and tremulous. He looked up at her, relief spreading through him – she was finally conscious. She had been tossing and turning the entire morning, and he sometimes heard quiet moans slipping past her lips. It made her sound like she was in so much pain. "You're here…" she whispered, and she tried to sit up in bed. But he didn't allow her to rise, instead gently pressing down on her shoulders, making her stay there.

"You need to rest," he murmured, catching her gaze. Her eyelids were slightly lowered, and her long eyelashes almost hid her green eyes. Even when she was ill, she was lovely. "Don't try to do anything today, alright? I just want you to stay here and recover. It'd break my heart if anything happened to you," his grip on her hand tightened as he stroked her fringe away from her face. She frowned woozily, looking like she wanted to protest, but he pressed a finger against her lips. "Don't argue with me. As the head servant, I'm telling you to just get some sleep and make sure you recover," he insisted. Finally, she relaxed, even smiling a bit.

"I'm glad you're here," she told him quietly, closing her eyes once more. She didn't release his hand. His heart clenched. "I…I dreamt that you would be here when I woke up. And you really were. Maybe this is still a dream," she continued, her eyes remaining closed. Gumo tensed at her words, studying her intently. There was a dreamy little smile on her face.

"One of the servants woke me up this morning and told me that you were terribly ill. And you know…my heart stopped for a moment," he admitted, leaning closer to her. Though she was ill, he could still smell the faint fragrance of roses. It emanated from everything she had – her pillow, her blanket, her long hair, even her breath. He could not smell the stench of illness, and if he hadn't _known_ she was sick, he would have thought she was just sleeping. "The only thing I could think of was going to you and staying by your side. I knew I wouldn't be able to focus on anything else if I didn't check up on you myself," he shook his head.

"Thank you for caring about me," she answered. "It makes me happy to know that you were so concerned. Did you…did you read my letters?" she suddenly asked, her soft voice hesitant. His grip on her hand tightened. She was so important to him. He couldn't afford to lose her.

"Yes. Every single one of them," he murmured. "I keep them all with me every day. And I take them out and read them whenever I find myself missing you," he watched her, and she relaxed, smiling again. Was it a mistake to have said all that to her, knowing that he couldn't ever be with her? But he had to say it. He couldn't just pretend that he didn't care.

"I keep all your letters too. You have…beautiful handwriting…" her voice was beginning to trail off. Gumo swallowed, wondering if she would continue. "And I get really happy…when I see your letters. I can pretend that you're really there with me even if you aren't," she softly admitted, and unconsciously, he reached out to touch her cheek, his fingers lingering on her skin. Every word she spoke made his chest tighten. How could someone be so exceedingly precious to him? He had never cared so much for anyone else before. Not even for the prince.

Her words were slurring slightly now. He was sure that she was beginning to drift in and out of consciousness, so he didn't want to keep her up any longer. "Go to sleep," he told her. "I will stay with you until you wake up again," he brushed his thumb against her delicate skin and she nodded, her eyes slowly opening once more to look at him. He met her tired gaze.

"I'm glad that you're here. I'm so glad…glad that I came to the palace and met you, Gumo," she whispered. Her hand reached up towards him, and he felt her brush her fingers against his lips. He caught her hand and moved it so that she cupped his face, and he leant his cheek into her palm, his heart racing at her touch. If only she knew the kind of effect she had upon him. "You promise you'll stay? Even if…even if Luki calls you?" she asked, voice wavering.

He hesitated. Desire warred with duty – he knew that if Luki were to summon him, he'd have to go at once, no matter what. But at the same time, he never wanted to leave her side. Part of him was frightened that if he did, her condition would worsen and she would slip away into unconsciousness forever. He wanted to be there when she woke up – he wanted to be there when she was fully recovered, laughing and smiling again. "I promise I'll stay. Even if he calls me," he finally answered. He spoke the truth. Her smile was a tender, beautiful thing.

"I love you," she told him, the three simple words making his heart stop. It took a while for him to decide how to respond, and by then she had already fallen asleep – her breathing was calm and even, and there was a look of peace on her face. He bowed his head, placing one hand over his heart, trying to get it to stop racing. But he couldn't help the joy which spread through him when he remembered what she said. She told him that she loved him.

"I love you too," he whispered, leaning over and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. He knew he couldn't be with her, not fully. He was already devoted to someone else. It wasn't fair to her to always have to fight with Luki for his attention. But everything he told himself in the past – his promise to stay away from her, his promise to let her go to someone else – it was all forgotten. He couldn't get her sweet voice out of his head, and he knew then that he had fallen hopelessly and irrevocably in love with her. He didn't know what to do.

No matter what, he couldn't turn back now. He would find a way to make this work out. Luki was his master, the one person he could never leave. He swore he would serve him forever, and he would uphold his promise. But Miku was his weakness. He would die to protect her. And being without her, at this point, just seemed like an impossible thing to do. The mere thought of losing her terrified him. He swallowed. "I love you," he repeated, though he knew she was unable to hear him. "More than you know. I wish I could let you know…"

But he couldn't let her know. Would it be better if he never told her that he loved her? He hesitated. The peaceful, gentle sounds of Miku breathing, her delicate fingers intertwined with his – all this made him _not_ want to think about it. Instead, he closed his eyes and laid his head down beside her, inhaling her scent. Maybe he could think about this some other day.

* * *

 **A/N:** _This is kind of a request for Shirai. We were being all, 'R &C Gumo is super cute' but I told her I don't ship him with Miku because of the age gap. Then we came up with this idea for a butler Gumo who is basically sweet and lovable just like R&C Gumo and ship him with Miku. Also, Shirai asked for them to send letters to each other through messenger pigeon, so there you have it._


	19. love magic

love magic

"I can do that if you want, but magic always comes with a price," the sorcerer winked at her, and she made a face. He laughed. "Aw, come on, you already knew that. Give me a smile," he teased her, one hand placed on his hip, the other hand playing with a glowing ball of light.

Kagamine Len was widely regarded as one of the best sorcerers in the world. He was _the_ person to go to if you needed a spell or potion – he could make anything anyone might desire, but in exchange, his prices were high. Len admitted before that he could be bought over to do anything as long as someone had enough gold – the words of a truly business-minded individual. He had few moral scruples and preferred to know as little about what his clients wanted to do as possible. The less he knew, he claimed, then the better he slept at night.

She sighed. "How much?" she clasped her hands together, hoping the price wouldn't be too high. Her family really needed the help to make it through this winter. Food was scarce, and even the farmers were struggling to grow crops. The lack of food hit their entire community hard – no one was able to afford new clothes, and her family's tailoring business had seen a very drastic decrease. If Len could help them with the crops, they wouldn't have to suffer so badly.

He considered. "A hundred gold pieces," he finally shrugged, and she averted her gaze – she couldn't afford that. "It's not a difficult potion to make, but the recent dry spell has affected the herbs and plants I'll need. They are not easy to find now, so…I must increase the prices," he told her, and he sounded apologetic. She sighed again. That was reasonable. She probably had not been able to afford the potion in the first place, anyway. They barely had any gold.

"It's all right then. Thank you, Len," she bowed her head. He sighed, extinguishing the ball of light and reaching out to pat her head. She stiffened as she felt his slender fingers stroke her long hair, picking up locks of it and studying them for a while. Her heart was suddenly pounding.

"You know, you have lovely hair. Long and luscious," he paused. "I'll give you what you need if you're willing to give me some of your hair. Not much, just maybe from here…" he pointed at her hips, where her hair ended, "to…here," he raised his hand to the middle of her back. She hesitated. Her hair…she personally did not believe in such superstitions, but her mother thought that cutting her hair would bring ill fortune and leave her vulnerable to possession by the Devil. In fact, her mother didn't even like dealing with Len, whose magic she claimed _was_ the work of the Devil. If she cut her hair, her mother would no doubt react poorly.

But she didn't know what else she could do. Len was already kind enough to offer her this alternative, and if she didn't take it, their entire community might starve for the winter. So in the end, she nodded, and the sorcerer smiled, his fingers still holding on to some of her hair. "That's a deal then, Miku. But no hurry. You can give it to me whenever you want – let me just get the potion ready for you first. Come back in two days and you can collect it."

"What do you need my hair for?" she asked, curious. She held up a few locks of her own hair and studied it, frowning. She never knew hair could be used in magic. Len had turned away from her, humming quietly to himself, and he didn't answer. Perhaps he had not heard her.

"Len!" the door to his dwelling suddenly burst open, and another wizard came in – this one was Utatane Piko, another _very_ good sorcerer, though there was a reason why Miku did not go to him instead of Len. Piko tended to specialise in magic that made him popular among girls – he was exceptionally good at spells and potions that created illusions or caused infatuation and good fortune. As a result, his prices for everything were higher than Len's, even when it came to things that were outside his specialisation. "Do you have a moment? And oh, it's you," he paused, noticing her. "The village beauty!"

She blushed a little at the compliment, ducking her head. She certainly didn't think herself worthy of that title. Len looked up at the sound of Piko's voice. "What do you want, Piko?" he drawled, moving across the room – his black cloak swished around his ankles, fluttering in a wind that was only present around him. "If I know you, then you're up to no good as always."

"The same could be said of you, my fellow sorcerer," Piko retorted, a dazzling grin on his face. "But I simply wanted to have tea with you. It has been a while since we last relaxed together, is it not?" he sounded wistful. "Do you remember that tea party Megurine Luka hosted thirty years ago? Ah, those were good times. Gumi was there if you remember, and she was trying to push you together with some little witch called _Mayu_ –"

"Let's not talk about those times. It makes me feel old," Len interrupted, turning around and waving Piko into the dwelling. Miku frowned. She actually had no idea how old Len was. He had been around for many, many years – even her grandmother had stories about him. She died when Miku was young, but she still remembered the advice the older woman gave her before she passed away – that one should always be careful when dealing with Kagamine Len. His prices were not necessarily always just gold. But Len had yet to charge her anything else, except for this instance when he asked for her hair. Usually, he just wanted money.

"Oh, but you _are_ old," Piko pointed out, his grin widening. "Do you have tea?" he bustled around Len's kitchen, clearly familiar with the place. Miku fidgeted, wondering if she ought to take her leave now, but as though he could read her mind, Piko called out to her while rummaging through a cabinet. "And don't leave just yet, Miku. Since you're already here, you might as well eat with us. Humans have to eat, don't they?" he laughed gently.

Right on cue, her stomach gurgled. She winced, her hand shooting up to cover her stomach. She had not eaten well the whole week, and her stomach was clearly making that known. Len and Piko both glanced at her, looks of amusement on their faces, and she sighed. That had been embarrassing. "Well…if you both do not mind, then yes, I would like that," she admitted.

"Why would we mind?" Len waved a hand, and three chairs shot out from underneath his table. "Make yourself comfortable. Piko, go make the tea. But don't you dare slip anything into the teapot again. I remember what you did to Luka at that same tea party you mentioned," he added. The other wizard held up his hands in surrender, and Len glanced at her while she carefully took a seat, looking around. "Just wait for us and we'll get some food ready in a jiffy."

She wanted to help, but she looked at the wizards bickering with each other and figured she would simply get in their way. So in the end, she just sat there waiting for them, and after a while, the table was laid with tea and pastries. Len and Piko simply had to stand there and chant a few incantations, so she didn't know what they were even arguing over in the first place. "Tuck in and enjoy yourself," Len invited. " _I_ made the tea, so you don't need to fret over Piko possibly slipping one of his potions in there. Again," he glared at the other wizard.

"I did that _one_ time, thirty years ago," Piko rolled his eyes. He had mismatched eyes, one blue and one green, and silvery hair that reminded her of snow on a winter's day. There was a cat who lived in the village who looked very similar to Piko, with long white fur and the same dual coloured eyes. She wondered if the cat was somehow related to him. "And come on, admit that it was lots of fun. I never knew Luka could be so lustful. It was _hilarious_!"

"And so much trouble to deal with afterwards," Len muttered. "I still wonder how you are even in business, Piko. You'd think most people would figure out that it's not worth it to pay so much for an illusion. You can't force someone to fall in love with you – the most you can create is a sense of infatuation that is so strong, they _think_ they are in love with you. And is that not just a cruel lie?" he sighed, leaning back in his chair. She listened, interested.

Piko raised a finger. "Ah, but you see, those are _illusions_ ," he shook his head. "I do sell true love. Sometimes. Very rarely, because those potions are hard to make. But what I can do is to strengthen the love someone already feels for you and possibly get them to act on their feelings. Of course, it's still not making them _fall_ for you," he shrugged, "but the love does not have to be romantic love. I can take familial or friendly affection and make it romantic if I want…but understandably, those potions are not easy to make, so hardly anyone asks."

"I would be concerned if they did," Len smirked. "Familial love? Imagine that. Incest is highly frowned upon among mortals," he glanced at her, meeting her gaze. "Am I right, Miku?" he added, now sounding faintly uncertain. She nodded empathetically, wondering how out of touch Len had to be with the human world to not know about such conventions. "But if I had the patience to wait around for potions to brew so long, I'd have done the same thing as you, Piko. Can't deny that your line of work is particularly lucrative."

"Yes, I suppose. Though I often need to test new spells and new magic. Can't keep selling the same thing to humans, you know. After a while, it stops working. Greedy fools," Piko muttered. "Miku, are you not having your tea?" he noticed, realising that her teacup was still full. She started. She had yet to drink because she was so fascinated by their conversation. This was a rare glimpse into another world, a world where everyone was powerful and equal because all of them could do magic – all of them were not mortal. Len and Piko were both so old…

"Thank you for the reminder," she nodded, picking up her teacup and drinking. The tea tasted faintly herbal, but it was sweet and fragrant, and she enjoyed it immensely. The hot liquid was like a friendly hug. "It tastes really good!" she exclaimed, putting the teacup back down. Len grinned, and she remembered he said he was the one who made it.

"I appreciate that. Come, finish the cake as well. Piko and I don't eat so much. And you are the one who is clearly hungry," he chortled, and Miku blushed again, thinking back to how loudly her stomach had growled. He would probably never let her live it down. She didn't think Len ever forgot anything. Wordlessly, she reached out for a pastry, pleased to find that it all tasted good too – or perhaps she was just hungry. Either way, she ate until she was full.

Piko sighed. "You know, Miku – you are the _one_ girl in the village who never shows your face at my door. Yet you visit Len very often, do you not?" he frowned. "What can I do to make you come to me instead? I feel disappointed to not be of any assistance to you," he leant over a little, taking her hand in his. She tensed. His hand was slender and elegant, and his fingers were tracing small circles against her skin. She suddenly didn't know what to say.

"Oi, stop that," Len slapped Piko's hand away. "I know what you're doing. Doesn't matter how small the movements are, I can still see you casting one of your love spells on her," he scolded. Piko just sighed again, his brow furrowed, and turned towards Len. She promptly placed both hands on her lap, her heart hammering. She really had to be careful around them.

"Why do you even care?" he groused. "It's not like she'll come to me for anything that isn't related to love, anyway. You're still _the_ wizard everyone visits for anything else. Let me try to get some business from her, why don't you?" he mumbled. Len flicked his fingers against the back of Piko's head, causing the silver-haired sorcerer to yelp loudly and glare at him.

"Possibly because she doesn't _have_ anyone she's in love with at the moment. Look at her. Do you really think she needs your help to find love?" he continued scolding Piko. Miku's face flamed – while it was nice to be called pretty, it was different when she heard it from the two sorcerers, who had lived such long lives and had probably seen all kinds of women.

"Touché. She is quite the beauty, isn't she?" Piko stared at her, and she suddenly felt an overwhelming urge to run out of the room. Both sorcerers were watching her now, their gazes intense, and she felt mildly suffocated. "Whoever you end up with will be a _very_ fortunate man," he mused. "He probably won't even need one of my spells of good luck."

"I think I must leave now," she rose from her chair, ducking her head so that neither man could see how red her face was. "My mother will be wondering where I am, and she will not be pleased if she knows that I came to visit Len. Thank you very much for the tea and cake!" she turned and shot for the door, fumbling with the lock. Len watched her, amused, as even after a few minutes she was still unable to open the door. Finally, he waved a hand and the heavy bolt slid out. Miku froze, clearly flustered, and he tried his best not to laugh.

"Don't forget to come back in two days for what you asked for," he called out to her. She glanced back briefly, nodding to indicate that she had heard him before she all but ran out of his house. He chuckled, shaking his head, and waved his hand again, shutting the door. "I wonder if she knows just how adorable she is," he mused, picking up his teacup and taking a sip. Piko smirked, a look of amusement dancing through his eyes. Len recognised that look, and he did not like it. It was the face Piko wore whenever he was plotting something.

"I don't know about _her_ , but _I_ can tell that you are head-over-heels for her, and you won't even admit it," Len stilled, his fingers tightly clenching his teacup. "Is that not why you asked for her hair? Hair isn't used in magic, not unless it's a _love_ potion…" Piko mused, tapping his fingers against his lips. "Who was the one who just said love potions are mere illusions?"

"How do you even know all this?" Len put the cup back down, glaring at his friend. Piko at least had the decency to look ashamed. "Are you _spying_ on me again? With that infernal cat? You need to stop sending your sister out to eavesdrop on your behalf, Utatane Piko."

"Hey, Pika does it because it amuses her to see you in denial," he defended himself. "I mean, _you're_ a sorcerer who dislikes love potions and magic because you believe that none of it is real, yet you're asking for something which is used _solely_ for love magic from the girl you are interested in. Did you even realise what kind of request you made?" he pointed out.

"Shut up, of course I know," Len told him irritably, drinking from his cup again. "And just to add on, I definitely wasn't thinking about love potions when I asked for her hair. She looked so sad when I told her that what she wanted cost a hundred gold pieces – I knew she could never afford it, not when she's just a girl from the village. I wanted to be kind so I asked for something else dear to her. All I need is a sacrifice, and the magic would work."

"But you are not kind," Piko pointed out, and rightfully so. Len rolled his eyes, not bothering to answer this time. "So, you're not denying that you have feelings for her?" he asked. Len took a while to ponder this question, uncertain whether he ought to reveal the truth.

"No, I won't deny it. I've lived long enough to grow past those petty games," he admitted. "But she is a human, and her lifespan is much shorter than ours. How am I supposed to love a girl who will die in a few short years? Even if she lives to an old age by mortal standards, it is only a blink of an eye to me. I'd rather not make either one of us suffer through that."

"Or you can teach her magic, make her a witch so that she'll be able to live for many years to come," Piko suggested. Len hesitated. That wasn't an idea he never considered before, but learning magic, using magic, it all came with a price. He wasn't sure if he wanted Miku to pay that price. Being a sorcerer led to a lifetime of loneliness and isolation. Mortals did not like them, believing they were affiliated to the Devil, and they avoided sorcerers at all costs unless they needed their help. Whenever anti-magic sentiment ran high, all sorcerers and witches had to go into hiding, fearing that the humans would find them and burn them all to death. Sorcerers had spells to help them, but even their magic was limited, and they were not impervious to fire. Did he want Miku to live the same nomadic, lonely lifestyle as him?

"I'd rather not. For good reason," he finally exhaled, draining all the tea in the cup. Piko made a face but didn't protest. "Anyway. Aren't you going to invite your sister in? She spied on me for you, yet you are the one who sits in my house, eating and drinking. Don't be such a selfish older brother. I can hear her meowing outside," Len tilted his head, and sure enough, a faint, piteous cry could be heard, along with the sound of claws scratching against wood.

"Fine, fine. Pika, come in," Piko called. A few seconds later, the door swung open and Piko's little sister entered the room, glaring hotly at her brother. She was a dainty girl with the same silvery hair as Piko, though hers went all the way to her waist. She also had the same dual coloured eyes as her sibling. Apparently, she was now stuck in the form of a cat unless Piko gave her permission to use her human form, mainly because she lost a bet with her brother and now had to do his bidding. Piko told him that she still had to listen to him for another century.

"You're so _mean_ ," she whined. "I've been hanging around that girl for days and she's fed me more times than you have! Did you know that her family is going hungry?" Pika went to the table, sitting on Miku's vacated chair. "But whenever she has food, she always shares half of it with me. She's such a sweet little thing, that child. And I heard Len is very fond of her."

"Indeed. She must be a very special girl, to capture the heart of one of the best wizards we know," Piko's lips twitched. Len ignored them, pouring out more tea from the teapot and adding a sugar cube. He was craving something sweet. "But he refuses to talk about it. I think that he won't ever make a move, and he'll just live the rest of his very long life pining for her."

"Sounds about right," his sister agreed, greedily reaching for some cake. "Oh, Piko. This tastes great. You're as wonderful a baker as ever," she complimented her brother, and Piko just inclined his head, grinning. In their community, Piko was known as the wizard who did love magic, and who could also bake a very delicious shortcake. "Is the girl coming back?" she suddenly asked, exchanging a look with her brother. Len glanced up at the question.

"Yes. She has to collect something from me. Why do you ask?" he studied the siblings. Piko and Pika just shrugged in unison, but there was a gleam in Piko's mismatched eyes that Len did not like. He suddenly had a very bad feeling about what was to come.

* * *

Miku hummed, going up the path towards Len's house. She was so glad that he agreed to make her the potion, and she had finally decided that she'd cut her hair off when he wanted it – it didn't matter what her mother said. She'd rather leave herself vulnerable to possession than to starve to death in the upcoming winter. Her stomach was already suffering enough.

She reached Len's dwelling, her hand poised to knock when suddenly she hesitated. There was nervousness in the pit of her stomach. She had bought things from Len before, but it was the first time she asked for something so _expensive_. Usually, she asked for simple spells, the kind of thing he could do with his eyes closed – a spell to heal a persistent cough or a spell to befriend an animal or…easy things. He'd just ask for a silver coin or two, and she would pay and then she would leave. But this time, she had no money to pay him, and that left her uncertain. If she paid him with her hair, would she have to cut it all off now?

It was still a huge thing for her, even if she made up her mind that she would cut it off. It wasn't that she had never cut her hair before, but she rarely did and she knew she would miss the long locks. When she wanted to cut her hair, her mother would bring her to the church so that the priest could bless her while she underwent the _ritual_ , or so her mother called it. It was strange to not do the same thing this time. The only person who would see her cutting her long hair short was Len. And she was not entirely sure how she felt about that.

Sighing, she knocked on the door. "Come on in," Len called out, his voice sounding faintly distracted. She did as he said, pushing the door cautiously and stepping inside his dwelling. It was dim inside, darker than it usually was, and she could faintly make out Len at the other side of the room, a few glowing balls of light floating around him. He was mumbling quietly, and she guessed he was in the midst of casting a spell, so she looked for a chair and made herself comfortable while she waited for him to finish. After a while, Len turned around.

The balls of light were still present, but he ignored them, waving them away when he left his position and they tried to follow him. "Oh, Miku, it's you. I have your potion ready, just give me a moment…" he went over to a cabinet, opening it and stretching up to search through the bottles there. She could see the front of his shirt rise a bit, revealing just the tiniest hint of his flat stomach. Miku bit her lip, twisting the fabric of her skirt around her fingers. Her face was hot. It wasn't the first time she'd seen him doing this – why was she affected now?

"I found it," he grunted, bringing down a bottle and closing the cabinet doors. The whole place was still dim, but her eyes were adjusting to the darkness and she could see his face. He was frowning, looking down at the bottle while he walked over to her. "Be careful. If you accidentally spill this on the way home, you're going to see a _lot_ of wild grass and trees, so make sure you only use it on crops," he told her. She was barely even listening to him, so entranced by his face and his look of concentration. He was extremely attractive when he was so focused.

"Len," she interrupted, and he blinked, looking at her. He was standing right in front of her now, and she got up from the chair so that he wasn't towering over her. He tilted his head, studying her curiously. "You say that you can create anything for someone as long as they're willing to pay the price, right?" she asked, and he nodded, unsure where she was going with all this. She took in a deep breath. "What would I have to pay to get you to kiss me?"

He choked, abruptly setting the bottle down somewhere safe before he dropped it in his shock. Miku was staring unblinkingly at him, her green eyes heated, and that bad feeling from two days ago returned to him. Piko must have slipped something into her drink while he wasn't looking. He was going to hunt down the other sorcerer and throttle him. "Miku, you should sit down for a while," he tried to steer her back to her chair. "Hang on and I'll make something to help you, okay? But _damn_ ," he mumbled. Love magic wasn't his forte.

He was going to need Piko's help. Where was that damned wizard when he actually needed him? Miku shook her head stubbornly and wrapped her arms tightly around him. He froze, inhaling her sweet scent. She really was lovely. People called her the village beauty, and it was not difficult to see why. She smelled like wildflowers…but no, he could not just give in to temptation. It was nothing but an illusion, a feeling of lust that she was mistaking for love. There was nothing real about any of this. "Miku, you need to _sit down._ "

"No," she mumbled. "I've always liked you, Len…but you never seemed interested in me…" she sighed into his shirt, and he didn't know what to do. He didn't want to just shove her aside because that might hurt her, but if he didn't, he'd never be able to get them out of this situation. "Don't you like me too?" she asked, and her voice was breathy. He groaned.

This was extremely strong love magic. He could tell. And he really needed Piko. He heard a familiar meow outside his window, and he glanced around, seeing Pika there, watching them – he didn't think cats could smirk, but there was such a smug look on the witch's face that he wanted to kick the damned cat. "Pika, you better get your good-for-nothing brother to come here right now!" he shouted. Pika just rolled her eyes and turned away, waving her fluffy tail carelessly at him. He growled. "Come _back_ here, you foul little –"

Then he couldn't continue because Miku tiptoed, her hands cupping his face, and pulled him down to her for a kiss. He froze, unable to move as her delicate lips ghosted against his, her warm breath lightly touching his face. Her fingers weaved through his blond hair, and she sighed against his mouth as she gently pulled. He didn't know how to respond. Should he kiss her back? Should he push her away? Both sides fought against each other, but Miku just continued to press her soft lips to his, clearly not minding that he was as still as a statue.

"Mm," she caught his bottom lip between her teeth and tugged. His hands were starting to slip around her waist, and her sweet scent was making him a little dizzy. He couldn't allow himself to succumb to her, but she was making it _so_ hard when she was pressing herself up against him like this, and her green eyes were so wide and wanting, and he had imagined kissing those rose petal lips before though he knew that he shouldn't – "Len, why won't you kiss me back?" she sounded disappointed, peeking up at him from underneath long eyelashes.

He desperately needed Piko to come here before he did something stupid. "Because you're under a love spell, and none of this is real," he told her tersely, trying to step away from her – but she followed him closely, and he didn't know where he could go to avoid her. All of a sudden, he entirely forgot how to cast _anything_. He was very close to snapping and ignoring that all this was an illusion, that none of it was true – the girl he liked was right in front of him, basically asking him to kiss her, and refusing her was becoming very difficult.

"I don't think it's not real," she exhaled, smiling. "I think it's _very_ , very real. I like you, Len. Even though you're a sorcerer and my mother hates you and thinks you're a gateway to the Devil. You're much kinder than you think you are," she told him, her fingers gripping his wrists tightly. He looked around, helpless, trying to avoid her gaze – he knew that if he looked into those green eyes for another moment, he'd forget why he was resisting. How preposterous, that a powerful sorcerer like himself would be so _weak_ around a fragile mortal girl like her.

"Piko, where in Heka's name are you?" he hissed. He had little doubt that the sorcerer was watching from somewhere, enjoying the results of his actions. He hoped that Piko would at least have the decency to step in before things got too serious. Though he couldn't be sure about that. After all, he let Luka run around after Gakupo for quite a while before he finally deigned to rectify the situation. "If I catch you, you little _worm_ , you're going to regret –"

Miku suddenly kissed him again, and since his mouth had been open, she took advantage of that, nibbling gently on his bottom lip and sweeping her tongue inside his mouth. He froze. She was clearly inexperienced, and he could tell that she had no idea what she was doing, but her attempts were charmingly clumsy and he felt himself softening, his hands settling firmly on her hips. "Len," she whispered, and he closed his eyes, hesitantly kissing her back.

Throughout the many years of his existence, Len had made some very stupid mistakes. But he was pretty sure this was one mistake which would be difficult to top. Miku whimpered as he took over the kiss, one hand reaching up to hold the back of her head, the other tight around her waist, and he felt her trying to kiss him back with the same kind of intensity. She was sweet, just like her scent, and her skin was so soft and delicate. A true marker of youth.

She was so young compared to him, and she knew so little. He really ought to be above this, but it had been a long time since he actually felt serious about anyone and he didn't want to say no. Len was used to attention from the fairer sex – he knew he was attractive courtesy of his very good-looking parents, but generally, he preferred to stay away from any serious relationships with women because he would outlive them by decades, even centuries. He could be a huge flirt and he knew very well how to make a girl blush – it was one of the ways he used to tease Miku, often saying that he would give her a better price if she was willing to give _him_ a kiss. And she would blush furiously, looking uncertain until he told her that he was just kidding. Though if he had to be truthful, he never really just meant it as a joke.

He didn't know why he was drawn to her. There were so many other women who had gone through his life that they all just blurred together, a faceless sea of faces. But Miku was the first girl he knew who came to him _not_ asking for wealth or luck or longevity or any other material concern that mortals often had. He still remembered her first request. She was a young child then, and her main concern was a little puppy she found injured at the side of the road. She wanted to be able to talk to it so she could find out what help it needed, as the puppy kept whimpering and cowering whenever she tried to approach. He recalled being very surprised by such a naïve, simple request, so much that he helped her for free.

Her other requests, as she got older, never deviated from the same mindset of altruism and kindness. Even this wish she had, to make the crops grow better – it _was_ driven by survival, but she could have easily just asked for enough potion to help her own family live through the winter. One reason why he was charging so much was because she wanted enough to save the entire village, not just her own household. And she was willing to pay for all these other people who, undoubtedly, would not do the same for her. She was the village beauty not just because of how pretty she was, but also because she had a rare heart of gold.

She was so unique that he couldn't help but pay attention to her. In the beginning, he'd just make her the spell or potion and send her on her way, but after a while she started coming to visit him just for the sake of visiting, often with a small gift – it really was small, usually just a bouquet of wildflowers she picked, or perhaps something she stitched using leftover material from her family's tailor shop – but he treasured all these gifts, which were always thoughtful and always took into account his own likes and preferences. Others who gave him gifts only did so to get into his good books. They gave him expensive things, luxuries that cost plenty of money, but which he felt nothing for. Miku's presents were different.

She became a friend, not just another client. She liked to talk to him, she liked to find out more about magic, and he always answered any questions she had. She once asked him why he always looked the same no matter how many years it had been, and that was the first time she heard the concept of immortality. He taught her a great deal, but in exchange, she brought him delight. And as the seasons passed and she blossomed into a beautiful young lady, he found himself becoming more affectionate, even missing her when she was not around.

Yes, he had made many stupid mistakes in the past, but this was by far the worst. He never should have fallen in love with a mortal. Why couldn't he just find some pretty witch and be done with romance? He withdrew from her, and she was breathing heavily, her eyes heavy-lidded. "Sit down," he whispered, and now she listened to him, dazedly stumbling to a chair nearby. "Wait here, okay? I'll be back soon," he instructed. Though he didn't want to do so, he bound her to the chair with a few muttered incantations, ensuring that she could not move. Miku tried to get up but she was stuck there, and the look of betrayal on her face…

He swallowed. She'd understand when the effects of the potion finally wore off. But first of all, he had to find Piko. He left his house and found the sorcerer with Pika in his arms, lounging on the tree that grew right outside his dwelling. The silver-haired wizard was grinning down at him, that stupid cat purring in delight as he scratched her ears. Pika was clearly very used to being a cat by now, which may or may not be a good thing. " _Piko_ ," he growled, "I don't know what kind of game you're playing but you need to give me the antidote _now_."

His friend – though Len was hesitant to use that word to describe him at the moment – just shrugged, getting up from the branch and leaping gracefully to the ground. Pika hopped out from his arms, stretching herself and lazing in the shade of the tree, her eyes closing. "I can't give you one, Len. Not that I don't want to, but there simply isn't an antidote at the moment."

"What?" Len blinked, horrified by what Piko just said. Piko shrugged again, walking over to the window and peering inside. Len glanced back too, unable to help himself – he could see Miku wriggling around in the chair, trying to break free. She'd never be able to. Unlike ropes and other mortal contraptions, magic could not be so easily escaped. Piko sighed wistfully.

"It's a new spell. So yes, there is no antidote because I haven't made one yet," he explained. "I wanted to test the spell on Miku and see how well it worked. I must say, this is going better than I expected," he mused. Len was quite tempted to punch Piko in the face, but he held himself back, knowing that he needed all the help he could get right now. "Oh, but don't worry, it's not one of my run-of-the-mill love spells," he added quickly, as though he could sense Len's growing irritation. "It's the _expensive_ kind, you know. And I used my strongest one on her!"

Len stilled. "What do you mean, the expensive kind?" he demanded. Piko just narrowed his eyes and shot him a knowing look, and Len folded his arms across his chest, beginning to feel uncomfortable. "I don't know what you're talking about. Explain yourself," he pushed. The sorcerer sighed.

"I already told you before. There are potions which do not create an illusion – those take a love that is already there and make it temporarily stronger, enough to convince someone to act upon their unspoken feelings. There are two types – one that simply amplifies that bond, and one that _changes_ the nature of that bond to the romantic type. Just to be safe, I used the former one with Miku because I didn't want to trick the poor girl into loving you if she only saw you as a brother. But look at that!" Piko exclaimed. "Don't tell me that her feelings for you are simply platonic because from what I saw just now, it certainly didn't look that way."

Len still wanted to punch Piko. His smug, condescending grin was all too familiar. While Len would have gladly joined Piko in snickering if this had happened to anyone else, he couldn't bring himself to find the humour in the situation when _he_ was the victim. "Shut up. Is there any way to snap her out of it?" he asked, glaring angrily at Pika when the white cat meowed in amusement, waving her tail. Piko frowned, getting serious now, and shook his head.

"The best I can tell you is to just wait for it to wear off. I don't know how long it'll take, but this is my strongest potion to date and usually, they take a couple of weeks or so to die down. I'd say the same duration for this, give or take a few days," he explained. Len's eyelid twitched. So he had to deal with a love-struck Miku for a few _weeks_? That sounded like a horrible idea.

"I can't be in the same place as her. And her mother will hate me even more," he groaned. "She's not going to mope around saying my name the entire day, is she?" he checked. Piko made a face, and Len was very tempted to kick his sister to alleviate his frustration.

"Look, asking me all this isn't going to solve anything," Piko patted his shoulder. "I only spark feelings. How she reacts to them, how she behaves when she's in love – I will not know because that all depends on the individual. Every person responds differently to love magic," he paused. "But I know that your life will be very difficult if you have to deal with her, so I will gladly make a sacrifice and open my house up until Miku is recovered –"

"No. No, you won't do that," Len interrupted, glaring at the sorcerer. There was a playful smirk on Piko's face, and he had the sneaking suspicion that if he let Piko handle Miku, her situation would become even worse. Never trust a sorcerer whose main source of income involved making use of girls' fragile hearts and emotions. "I'll handle it. Just…don't you _dare_ do anything like that again, or I swear I'll let Luka know where you're hiding," he threatened.

Piko yelped, hastily backing off. He was still afraid of Luka, who was absolutely furious with him after the prank he pulled at her tea party. "Don't worry, I won't! But enjoy yourself while it lasts! I'm trying to help you, you know!" he shouted, picking up his sister and vanishing into thin air. Len sighed, kneading his forehead with his fingertips. He glanced back at the house and saw Miku sitting still now, though her gaze was turned towards him. There was a small frown on her face, and he didn't know what to do. How could he last through the next few weeks with a lovesick girl at his heel, especially when said girl's mother detested him?

Well, it wasn't like he had any alternative. He hoped that Miku was still rational enough to see sense – maybe he could convince her to pretend that everything was normal in exchange for letting her visit him every day, for these few weeks? Opening the door, he braced himself for what was to come. He was in love with Miku, but…he certainly wasn't looking forward to this.


End file.
